Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
★★★ — Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Here's the thing about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: you can hold two completely contradictory thoughts about it at the same time, and both are true. It is one of the most important films ever made. It is also, judged purely as a piece of storytelling, a bit dull. I've been sitting with that tension since I watched it, and I don't think I can resolve it neatly. So I won't try.
The historical weight is real. This was the first full-length animated feature film, a genuinely audacious bet that everybody in Hollywood thought Walt Disney was going to lose. They called it "Disney's Folly." Well. The folly grossed a fortune, launched an empire, and changed what cinema could even be. You don't get to wave that away. I've watched a fair few Disney shorts from the era, including some of the early Mickey cartoons like Mickey's Steam Roller (1934), and the leap in ambition and craft between those and this is staggering. The studio essentially invented techniques as they went along.
And visually, the film earns its reputation. The watercolour backgrounds are soft and lush, the forest sequence is genuinely unsettling in a way that still lands, and the Queen's transformation scene has a grotesque energy that feels almost transgressive for something aimed at children. The hand-drawn artistry on display here is extraordinary work. No arguments from me on that front.
But here's where I have to be honest: as a film, as a piece of drama, it's thin. The story is about as simple as it gets. A kind princess flees her wicked stepmother, moves in with seven dwarfs, and waits to be rescued. That's it. There's no real tension, no meaningful character development, and Snow White herself is less a person than a symbol. She's kind, she's beautiful, she cleans the cottage and hums to herself, and she trusts a stranger offering her an apple despite every possible warning sign. She doesn't make choices so much as she drifts through events. Comparing her to a character like Claude Rains' invisible man, who crackles with menace and ego, highlights how dramatically passive she is. The Invisible Man was released just a few years before this, and the difference in character complexity is sharp.
Large stretches of the middle act feel like a series of charming sketches rather than a building narrative. The dwarfs are broad types rather than characters. Grumpy gets the most to work with, and he's still pretty one-note. The pacing sags. I found myself checking in rather than being pulled forward.
What saves it, genuinely and warmly, is the music. "Heigh-Ho," "Whistle While You Work," "Someday My Prince Will Come." These are not just catchy songs, they're beautifully crafted pieces of songwriting with real emotional simplicity and grace. They do more to define the dwarfs and carry the film's warmth than any scene of dialogue manages. "Someday My Prince Will Come" in particular is a lovely piece of work. The songs are the best argument the film has, and they make a strong case.
So where does that leave me? Three stars feels right. It's historically essential and musically delightful, and I'd encourage anyone with an interest in animation history to watch it. The artistry deserves to be seen. But don't go in expecting depth, or a plot that moves with any urgency, or a heroine who does much beyond dreaming and tidying up. It's a museum piece, lovingly crafted and beautifully scored, that sings far better than it runs.
Watch it to appreciate where everything began. Hum along to the tunes. Marvel at what those animators pulled off with no roadmap to follow. Just don't expect it to grip you the way a great film should. It's a landmark. It's also a bit slow. Both things are true.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 1937 | Watched: 2026-04-16
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from David Hand: Mickey's Steam Roller (1934) · Camping Out (1934) · Mickey's Kangaroo (1935)
More from the 1930s: Earth (1930) · Monkey Business (1931) · Sabotage (1936) · People on Sunday (1930)
More fantasy: Viy (1967) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
