This Is No Fairytale

If you haven't already seen the previews of Snow White & The Huntsman, this latest adaptation of the timeless fairytale is not like the Disney cartoon that we all know and love (parents be warned). First-time film director, Rupert Sanders, exhibits a much darker and sombre take on the children's classic, dabbling between TV's Game of Thrones and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. In a twist to the Brothers Grimm fairytale, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) stars as the majestic and kind-hearted Snow White, who is trained in the art of war by the drunken and widowed huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) after she escapes her wrongful imprisonment by her stepmother, the evil queen, Ravenna (Oscar® winner, Charlize Theron). Aside from Snow White's scenically lacklustre setting and its palette of fabulously melancholic costumes (definitely an Oscar® nomination for designer, Colleen Atwood), the film's biggest asset is its strong feministic incarnation of the titular protagonist. Writers, Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock and Hossein Amini, have avoided the typical 'damsel-in-distress' characterization, as they chronicle her fearless leadership of the rebellion against Ravenna's cruel reign. Definitely a clear illustration of the film's smart feminist thinking. Leading lady, Kristen Stewart, is at her best . Although she has delivered less-than stellar performances in the past, Stewart has undeniably found her niche as a Hollywood actress. Her potent voice and powerfully subtle gazes exude a sinewy strength that few actresses of her age can achieve, similar to Jennifer Lawrence's acclaimed performance in this year's The Hunger Games and Emma Watson's work in the Harry Potter franchise. But what ultimately becomes the undoing of Snow White, is its recycled and hackneyed plot. Granted, the storyline of the inspired source is already widely recognized, providing some degree of predictability for the audience. But riddling the film with every cliché of the genre only hindered the cause even more so. Like every other generic blockbuster film, it showcased the epic struggle between good and evil, flashed an old fashion love story, added various comic relief side-kick characters, then ended with a big budget CGI battle sequence.

However, offbeat pacing gratuitously prolonged the film, as it hit the ground running to begin with, but by the end, lost its momentum. It comes down to this, with its chaotic battle scenes and an abundance of CGI effects, Snow White was too ambitious as Sanders' directorial debut. A film of this proportion needed a seasoned action-film director, who understands how to properly pace a film, that realistically should've left the audience wanting more. His efforts with the characters are applauded - especially with bestowing compassion towards Ravenna, but as a whole, he is way out of his depth. Despite problematic pacing and a formulaic plot, Snow White offers as an intriguingly compelling contribution to the modern fairytale subgenre through its feministic variation to mostly 'heroic male' dominated films - a much better effort than last year's Red Riding Hood.

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