"With every laugh, there must be a tear somewhere…"
That was Walt Disney's war cry while producing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. By combining cartoon hi-jinks with grounded drama and real emotion, Disney's gamble on a feature-length animated film paid off countless times over — and helped launch an empire in the process.
By now you've probably already seen Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs countless times, but with Disney releasing the movie on Blu-ray and Digital HD for the first time, fans of the Mouse House have more to chew on than just another viewing of the movie.
With a wealth of archival footage and bonus features, Disney has given us a history lesson that not only sheds light on the early years of the company, but also informs younger fans of how animation pulled itself out of the primordial ooze of entertainment to become a respected medium.
The Movie
Snow White is still Snow White. This isn't some director's cut or extended edition: this is the same movie that people saw in 1937. However, the picture quality almost makes the movie look like it just came out. The colors are lush, the picture quality is impeccable and the sound is as good as you can expect.
Obviously, the movie hasn't changed at all, but everything seems to pop off the screen just a bit more. The backgrounds, in particular, are really showcased on the Blu-ray, with vibrant colors and seamless animation really drawing you in.
Watching Snow White again, it's easy to see the Disney DNA soaked into every cel. It's the blueprint from which all other animated features are formed, and the way the company presents it here really does it all justice.
The Bonus Features
Disney knows that it's catering to two audiences with this Blu-ray: Adults who grew up with Snow White and are craving historical context on the movie, and kids discovering it for the first time.
The bonus features on this Blu-ray play both sides by featuring archival footage of Walt Disney talking about the Snow White production process and an alternate opening to the movie, as well as Sofia Carson — a Disney Channel star — breaking down "Seven Of The Fairest Facts" about Snow White in an easily digestible way that will definitely appeal to the BuzzFeed generation.
While the bonus features do a great job of highlighting Snow White's impact upon its release, they also highlight how the movie is still influencing animators, artists and designers today. In the Iconography feature, we see Snow White's stamp on fashion and popular culture, as told through fans and professionals in the business that grew up with it.
The most interesting feature for the true goon-head is Bringing Snow White To Life, which focuses on the animators behind the film. The sometimes unsung heroes of the Disney brand, this feature highlights each animator and what they brought to the world of Snow White. It not only gives you insight into the process at Disney, but it forces you to look even harder at the movie, and how simple nuances and small gestures add so much character to the film.
Between all of these features, making-ofs, spotlights and trivia, the Blu-ray succeeds in making the movie itself more enjoyable. These aren't just special features to help pad a disc; they actively make this nearly 80-year-old movie more enjoyable. It's entertainment; it's history; it's everything an archival piece about the first animated full-color sound motion picture should be.
The Verdict
The movie might not be new, and some of the special features might be retreading old ground for seasoned fans, but the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray really has a bit of everything. The restored movie is beautiful, and the extras are perfectly suited for new and older fans. It's a history lesson; it's a beautiful transfer; and most importantly, it's still a classic.
