In the modern age of cinema, the main goal seems to be to make everything more inclusive, but how far is too far when it comes to a classic?
Disney’s new live-action remake of “Snow White” is set to star Rachel Zegler as the titular princess, and she seems to be caught in this heated discussion. Scheduled for release on March 22, Disney lovers are waiting to see how it might play out.
The story of “Snow White” was first written by the Brothers Grimm in 1812 and later produced by Walt Disney in 1937. Its storyline is a classic of its time, as Disney’s first feature-length production, “Snow White” helped show the potential of Disney in the world of cinema.
Well, we live in 2023 now, but with shifting social dynamics and a push for representation in the media, it’s important to see how classics are adapted to reflect modern-day values.
Modern-day values are something actor Zegler has been previously open to sharing. Known previously for her debut in “West Side Story,” it seems to have her acting career stained due to a movie that hasn’t even been released yet. Her view on the film can be viewed as one of a woke hyper-feminist, glued to the idea of women-leaders, and dominant women.
“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937,” Ziegler said in an interview with Variety, a popular magazine company. “We absolutely wrote a ‘Snow White’ [who’s] not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love; she’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.”
Many believe that Zegler seems ungrateful for her casting due to her outward criticism of the plot line, and worry that the story will lose all its credibility with all of the changes planned.
One change in particular is shown in the title. The seven dwarfs, all of which had their own personality within the film and added a sense of comfort for the lonely Snow White, have been completely erased from the narrative.
The upcoming remake features “magical creatures” whom Snow White casts on to better support her. With only one actor with dwarfism and the other six played by non-dwarf actors. This change can be difficult to understand for dwarf actors.
Dwarfism affects what roles an actor is limited to. Often than being pushed to the role of the “leprechaun” or the “elf” it can become exhausting and frustrating to say the least. There are few opportunities out there for a character with more development, than those listed. But with bigger importance to the film, built for people when these roles are stripped away from them in the name of “progression”. Some may blindly agree and not see it as a big deal, actors like Dylan Postl who are actually dwarfs feel that the lack of their representation is harmful.
“So it’s not a progression at all to me. My issue with it is exactly what you said. There are actors, dwarf actors, that dream to be in a major motion picture such as this Disney remake… And it’s taken because of progression,” Postl explained in an interview with Piers Morgan.
Big films like “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs” leave an impression on people. It’s a story people grew up reading or watching, and it brings a sense of nostalgia. When a film as sacred as this one is played by someone who “watched it once and never picked it up again,” fans of Disney and cinema as a whole naturally begin to fear for the future of Hollywood.
