There has never been a Disney film that has sparked as much controversy as “Snow White,” particularly regarding the content and surrounding issues. Since the initial images were released, the film has faced a wave of backlash from fans. The teaser, released three weeks ago, has already amassed 1 million dislikes compared to just 83,000 likes.
“Snow White” is a live-action adaptation of the classic animated film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) by Disney. In this version, the character Snow White is pursued by an evil queen who is envious of her beauty. She is forced to flee into the woods and takes refuge in the home of seven dwarfs. However, the wicked queen continues to devise ways to eliminate Snow White.
From the moment the project was announced, “Snow White” has faced criticism, particularly about the character’s appearance. Rachel Zegler, who plays Snow White, does not fit the original description given by the Brothers Grimm, which states she has “skin white as snow, hair black as ebony, and lips red as blood.” Additionally, Zegler, who is of Colombian and Polish descent, has darker skin.
Many audiences also argue that the evil queen, portrayed by Gal Gadot, appears more beautiful than Rachel Zegler, making it difficult to imagine a “jealousy” scenario. Several have compared Zegler’s Snow White to previous portrayals by actresses such as Lily Collins in “Mirror Mirror” (2012) or Kristen Stewart in “Snow White and the Huntsman” (2012).
Nevertheless, the 2001-born actress has made headlines by openly critiquing the original animated film. At the 2023 D23 Expo, she described “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” as outdated, explaining that her Snow White is not a passive character waiting for a prince. Rachel stated, “My intention is to make a Snow White that is not just a damsel in distress, and she will not be waiting for love to define her. She will be focused on reclaiming her throne…”
However, Zegler’s comments seemed to exacerbate the backlash, leading to even more negative reactions towards the film. This is one reason why the teaser has faced a significant amount of criticism. One commenter wrote: “Wow. Disney. You really are out of touch. You’ve spent 3 years, made many changes to the original story, and for what? To produce a film that I will never watch. Thank you.” Another viewer remarked: “Shrek still portrays Snow White better than Disney.”
Netizens’ comments on Disney’s Snow White:
– At least the live-action version should be visually appealing, given that it’s a 3D animation…
– What film hasn’t been made yet that has a more appealing visual than Snow White?
– Why should the evil queen be jealous of the princess?
– Snow White must be the wrong character in this story.
– 83,000 dislikes is a royal embarrassment.
– The original character description was stunning, yet it seems “these days, Snow White wants to be more appealing” is a step down from the original, and the film is likely to flop.
