Snow White and the Huntsman

 

Year:  2012

Filming:  Color

Length:  127 minutes

Genre:  Drama/Adventure/Fantasy

Maturity:  PG-13 (for intense themes, scary images, and fantasy violence)

Cast:  Kristen Stewart (Snow White), Chris Hemsworth (the Huntsman), Charlize Theron (Ravenna), Sam Claflin (Prince William), Sam Spruell (Finn), Ian McShane (Beith), Bob Hoskins (Muir), Ray Winstone (Gort), Nick Frost (Nion), Eddie Marsan (Duir), Toby Jones (Coll), Johnny Harris (Quert), Brian Gleeson (Gus)

         

Director:  Rupert Sanders

Personal Rating:  2 Stars

***

   

    Fantasy films are admittedly hard to make. The real challenge is making them different yet the same as our own world, employing both originality and realism to achieve visual marvels and emotional intensity. Sadly, all too frequently the results of these efforts fall short of the goal. The temptation to splurge on CGI creatures and special effects often proves too powerful to be resisted by the studio geeks, and the story falls into a disjointed disarray. This is especially the case when trying to modernize a classic legend or fairy-tale. Such is the case with Snow White and the Huntsman.

     Once upon a time, in an unidentified yet very scenic kingdom there dwells a beautiful queen who pricks her finger on a rose and seeing the blood against the snow, decides that if her infant daughter has pale skin and red lips, she will name her Snow White. (Yeah, kind of a macabre origin of the name, but anyway…). Such is the case, and little Snow grows up a happy and mischievous child, spending her days with her best friend, Prince William from a neighboring kingdom.

   Unfortunately for all, things take a turn for the worse when Snow White’s mother dies and her father becomes enraptured by a mysterious yet dazzling woman captured in battle with an army of glass soldiers…yeah, it’s a tad complex. Anyway, before you can say “really bad move”, the king marries her, and is subsequently stabbed by her on their marriage night! Then, lickety-split, she takes over his kingdom, wipes out most of the inhabitants, and imprisons his young daughter in a high tower for many years.

    When Snow White has blossomed into a beautiful young woman, she is perceived as a threat to Ravenna’s power, and it is ordered that her heart should be cut out. Oh, by the way, the evil queen has figured out a way to preserve her beauty beyond her years…basically, she sucks the life out of beautiful young women, or else has them disfigure their faces. Yeah, charming lady. But Snow manages to escape her tower prison and takes shelter in the woods. But Ravenna is not about to let her escape, and sends a disgruntled huntsman to track her down. But instead, her befriends the girl and teaches her to defend herself.

    Snow and the Huntsman also make pals with a bunch of Cockney dwarves (yes, I said Cockney) who realize Snow White is destined to fulfill a prophecy to save the kingdom and agree to help her on her quest.  Meanwhile, in another part of town, a grown Prince William is trying to make his mark on society by becoming a Robin-Hood-esque figure, shooting arrows in a hood in the forest, and harassing Ravenna’s henchmen. Ultimately, he and Snow and Co. meet up…only to come up against an interesting hurdle in the form of the shape-shifting Ravenna who disguises herself as William and entices Snow White to eat a poisoned apple! (Sound vaguely familiar now?) But never fear…Huntsman’s here! Oh, what a smooch can do…

    Snow White and the Huntsman could have been much better than it was. But sadly, it was lack-luster on multiple levels, mainly because the methodology of the whole production was off-base. How many times do I have to tell these Hollywooders that gutting classic tales but tenaciously clinging to the brand-name-titles just doesn’t work? I understand that the Brothers Grimm were pretty true to their names, so perhaps this variant is closer to the original mood as opposed to the Disney reboot. But it doesn’t feel original at all. This particular production is an alphabet soup of other films and stories, including Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, Joan of Arc, The Hunger Games, etc. etc.

    The acting was so-so, with telegraphed dialogue running throughout. Kristen Stewart sort of strikes me the same way as Keira Knightley, and it’s hard for me to take either one seriously in a period piece. To make up for that I will admit that the scenery was pretty impressive, as the majority of the picture was shot on location in England. Part of me wonders if perhaps Germany would have been more appropriate given the origins of the original tale, but it had the right feel overall. The costuming was fairly good as well. Also, the music score is quite epic, especially accompanying Snow White’s inspirational speech and the grand charge of the knights on horseback.

    There were a few innovative visuals, including the mystical white stag that blesses Snow White. Also, the way the mirror spills out in a molten liquid and takes the form of a hooded figure when the queen summons it is unique. There is a sense of spiritual power giving meaning to the plot. Snow White is shown reciting the Lord’s Prayer in her prison cell, and it is emphasized that her purity of heart is the key to overturning evil and fulfilling the prophecy. The Huntsman comments, after her death, that she will no doubt be a queen in Heaven even if she could not be one on earth.

    The downfall of Ravenna is based on her false assumption that beauty is the gateway to power and power to a meaningful life. She uses her dark magic to suck the life out of beautiful women, and becomes the symbol of death itself, donning herself in dresses decorated with beetle shells and skulls. She thinks that by possessing the heart of Snow White, she will put an end to this threat to her supremacy. But in the end, she cannot conquer the spirit of Snow White nor the love that restores her to life.

   Despite these moments of grace, the plot itself was awkwardly constructed, with multitudinous loose ends and concepts that are never properly fleshed out. For example, the love triangle between Snow White, the prince, and the huntsman drags on drearily but is left unresolved by the end of the movie. Also, there is a plot glitch with regards to how the evil queen finally meets her Waterloo. Hasn’t it already been established that she cannot be killed with a knife? I mean, isn’t that why there was that whole scene in which the guy tried to stab her, and she just pulled the blade, unharmed? But then Snow White does her in, using the very same method!

    Furthermore, after Snow returns to life, she makes a rousing speech saying that through her death, she has been shown the method by which the queen can be killed, which indicated it was something extra special. This sounds a lot like Gandalf the Grey from The Lord of the Rings, who dies and returns to life as Gandalf the White with enhanced powers to combat the forces of darkness. But there was never any follow through on the part of Snow, who uses no new methods of overcoming Ravenna. I will admit, for all the inconsistency, her hype-up speech after returning to life was probably the best part of the film.

   Ravenna herself was too gruesome for my tastes. There were some scenes I just had to fast-forward, like some of the life-sucking sequences, and when she bathes in that oily substance for her really obtuse beauty treatments. I mean, I know she’s supposed to be evil and all, but I think this depiction went over-the-top in its efforts to be disturbing and creepy. Also, we must wonder what exactly her relationship is with her brother. I mean it’s obvious he’s as blood-curdling as his sweet sis, but there are times when it seems he might actually be having an affair with her! But then again, he does try to make advances on Snow White…maybe he just can’t make up his warped mind?!


     Snow White as a Warrior Queen is unnecessary, and terribly old hat. Joan of Arc imitations are plentiful enough, from Turiel in The Hobbit to Guinivere in King Arthur to Marian in Robin Hood – as if the only useful things these ladies can do is wield a sword! Eowyn, Mulan, and Katniss are the only three femme fatales who manage to do their warrior thing with some originality and even style. The others are just trying to push a tired agenda about woman being as good at warfare as men. Frankly, I personally don’t think girls should be put in combat zones. Unless absolutely necessary in a one-off moment (as with some of the gals above), let the big tough dudes knock themselves silly. We can still use our wits or orchestrate stuff and patch them up after they return from the stramash! I think those are pretty important positions we ladies, don’t you?

    The monsters and special effects were pretty silly. Like, the rock-monster-thing Snow and the Huntsman battle after getting out of the woods was pretty much up to par with the rock-monster-things in Noah…and don’t even get me started on those! We’ll save it for another post! Also, the glass army didn’t make much sense, and seemed pretty silly, like a vain attempt to reproduce the fright of the skeleton army from Jason and the Argonauts and later The Lord of the Rings. It was all a general hodge-podge.

    Snow White and the Huntsman was cracked up to be more than it was. Instead of taking its place side-by-side with Tolien-esque high fantasy, the plot had the depth of a TV movie, and a very convoluted one at that. As with King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Biblical figures, this modern reboot of Snow White was pretty much up a creek as soon as it launched on its maiden voyage. However, I will admit there were a few rays of light in the darkness, mainly the on-location shooting, music score, and message that true beauty is always found within…and love penetrates all, even the depth of death.

   

Snow White (Kristen Stewart) and the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) rough-it-up in the woods