Live-action “Snow White” Overturns Classic: Prince Charming Turns into a Thief

“The live-action remake of Disney’s animated film ‘Snow White,’ which cost a whopping $270 million, has sparked controversy worldwide since its global release, with box office performance falling below expectations.

Apart from the fact that the Latina actress Rachel Zegler’s portrayal diverges significantly in skin color and demeanor from the traditional image of ‘Snow White,’ even the Prince Charming character has been transformed into the leader of a band of ‘thieves.’ Many netizens have expressed dissatisfaction with the film’s severe subversion of the classic, calling out ‘give me back my childhood.’

Adapted from the 1937 Disney classic animated film, the live-action version of ‘Snow White’ has faced controversy right from casting and performance. The casting of Latina actress Rachel Zegler directly subverts the core setting of ‘skin as white as snow’ in the original story. Despite the efforts by the filmmakers to rationalize Snow White’s ‘snowy complexion’ as being born on a snowy day through modifying the character’s background, audiences seem unconvinced, with the tag ‘brown Snow White’ quickly spreading on social media.

Originally named for her ‘skin as white as snow,’ Snow White now, according to Rachel Zegler’s previous interviews, has a different backstory. In an interview with Variety last October, Rachel Zegler mentioned that in the live-action movie, Snow White’s name originates from the story of her being born during a snowstorm: ‘She survived a storm as a baby, and so the king and queen named her Snow White to remind her of her strong character,’ aligning with the current extreme feminist sentiment.

Rachel Zegler further openly stated, ‘I am not a fan of the 1937 animated version, nor have I ever truly liked it,’ and publicly expressed support for Palestine on social media, leading to a stance opposition with Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who plays the ‘Evil Queen,’ turning the film into a geopolitical battleground.

To avoid controversy surrounding ‘dwarf discrimination,’ Disney transfigured the classic group of dwarfs into CGI-generated ‘Seven little dwarfs.’ In response, the Hollywood community of dwarf actors criticized the film for ‘depriving dwarf actors of job opportunities’; many viewers also expressed disappointment that the CGI dwarf characters in this live-action film appeared awkward and lacked familiarity, diminishing their charm.

Although the live-action film initially unfolds with the story of a kind princess, audience feedback suggests that the princess in the plot is not seeking true love and a prince but rather aiming to emerge victorious in a full-fledged showdown between the protagonist and antagonist to become the ruler of the land, leading to an instant drop in the romance factor.

In contrast to the animated version where Snow White sings the classic song ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’ with hope, which is absent in the live-action film as the prince character has been turned into a thief, forming an alliance with the leader of the bandits. Even the most iconic song of the Seven Dwarfs, ‘The Washing Song,’ has been omitted in the live-action version, leaving many Seven Dwarfs fans deeply disappointed.

Regarding the role portrayal of the ‘Prince Charming’ in the live-action film, Rachel Zegler stated in an interview alongside Gal Gadot last year, ‘This is not 1937 anymore. We have definitely written a Snow White who will not be saved by a prince.’ ‘She (the princess) will not be saved by a prince, and she won’t dream of true love.’ ‘She dreams of becoming a leader; she knows she can be the kind of leader her deceased father told her she could be if she is fearless, just, brave, and true.’

With almost all aspects of the classic story subverted, even Prince Charming being ‘abandoned,’ with Jonathan, the leader of the thieves, and the female protagonist’s relationship no longer portraying the typical prince and princess romance, many netizens shout out, ‘give me back my childhood!’

David Hale Hand, the son of the director of the original 1937 animated ‘Snow White,’ has also condemned Disney’s live-action version of ‘Snow White’ for ‘insulting’ the classic and ‘destroying’ the hard work of his father and Walt Disney.

It is well-known that the original Snow White embodies purity and kindness, even her name symbolizing such purity and beauty. Snow White’s virtues of kindness enhance her beauty, even after taking a bite of the evil queen’s poisoned apple and falling into a ‘sleeping death,’ she remains ‘so beautiful’ that ‘even in death, the dwarfs could not bear to bury her.'”