Snow White & the Huntsman
Director: Rupert Sanders
Writers: Even Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, Hossein Amini
Stars: Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth
The second of this year’s two adaptions of the tale of Snow White has appeared in theaters. This one is darker and grittier, and definitely not for the kiddies. It’s a violent film, with evil that is is both clever and powerful. A lot of back story is filled in via a very strong opening, creating an expectation for the film that never quite materialized.
The visuals, both the locations chosen and the soundstage sets, are stunning. They give the movie an epic larger-than-life feel. The dark forest is truly creepy, full of slithering creatures and dead things. The battle scenes are truly well done, at least those bits that don’t involve Kristen Stewart.
Charlize Theron shows you evil you love to hate, as the queen who Snow White is destined to oppose. She really plays the role to the hilt, aided by superb effects whenever she performs magic. She takes her time with every word, and leaves a lasting impression.
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The costumes are amazing, making it clear that this is not anywhere we’ve ever been. I was somewhat bothered when a trek through the woods ended up in a snowy wilderness, and Snow White suddenly was wearing a lovely, fitted, hooded coat. I must have missed the stop at the mall where they went shopping . . .
The plot is unfortunately a bit disjointed in spots, especially when it comes to the individual characters’ motivations-some are a bit murky. Snow White in particular is driven more by who she is than anything she has done. In contrast, you really want to sympathize with the evil queen-she is so deliciously evil-but it’s hard when you don’t understand how she got that way. The huntsman is the only one who has a truly coherent backstory-you get exactly where he is coming from. Despite the “girl-power” front and center in the production, I think the huntsman is the one that people will identify with, because they can understand him.
By far the worst fault of the film is its tendency to periodically draw inspiration from the classic cartoon version of the fairy tale. Several times during the two hours plus I was pulled out of the film when it became just too Disneyesque. Those scenes just didn’t fit in with the more mature vision of the rest of the film, which draws more from the older Victorian version of the fairy tale. At times I almost expected someone to burst into song.
The ending is ambiguous and somewhat unsatisfying. I wish there’d been another scene or two to tie things up a little better, as the story doesn’t really lend itself to a sequel. But the resolution may be forthcoming, as its performance at the box office may force another film in the series-the rumors are already flying.
Elektra Hammond
Buzzy Mag Editor & Reviewer
