West Side Story actress, Rachel Zegler, has completed an interview with Buzzfeed in which she says Snow White “has constantly been criticized.” That seems odd given that Snow White is a story from 1812 that essentially deals with archetypes of jealousy, vanity, and revenge. The story centers around a kind and beautiful young woman who is hated by an evil witch over utter vanity that Snow White can’t control. Snow White isn’t vain or mean. She’s despised for something out of her control. Ultimately, Snow White’s inner beauty is what saves her… not her outer beauty.
But Zegler may not be of the same thinking:
“There’s not much I can say about it besides the fact that Snow White has constantly been criticized. Even though she’s the original Disney princess and we love her so much, [she’s been] criticized for existing solely for a prince, existing solely to be rescued. And I think that our director, Marc Webb, and everyone who’s working on this film has really taken her narrative and turned it into something that’s a lot stronger. And I’m very, very excited to be able to bring that to life.”
Personally, I do not have much hope for a live action remake of Snow White, and perhaps Disney should just leave it alone given its historical importance, not only to Disney but also to the history of cinema and entertainment. I worry that a remake may run the dwarves through a barrage of modern-day social filters. I worry that Snow White will be turned into a neo-feminist symbol rather than a girl who represents kindness. I worry that the prince will be turned into something less than ideal. The only way I could see this working is if they did the film as a period piece, but that seems doubtful. This may be heading down the Dumbo rabbit hole.
Gal Gadot will be playing the Evil Queen in the film. Gadot is a fantastic actress, so there’s hope in that. Just please, please, please… don’t let this thing be as bad as the “Imagine” celebrity cringe from a year ago. That’s the sort of thing dislike numbers are hidden to save. We can only hope and pray it will be more like the original Wonder Woman film instead.
Ultimately, I just hope Disney is wise enough to be kind to Snow White. Is the character a bit one-dimensional? Sure. But Snow White has never existed just for the purpose of a prince; Snow White has existed as a counter to the vanity of an evil queen. So be kind to an archetype of kindness… otherwise, you might be unwittingly playing the part of the villain you think needs correction.
Agree or disagree: let me know in the comments below!
