Most certainly, fairy tales come in all sizes, tones and remakes. In the super-imaginative hands of director Jason Brooks (who co-wrote the screenplay with Naomi Mechem-Miller), perhaps the simplest way to sum up this production is a variation on the famous line: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the bloodiest one of all?”. In this instance, the mirror’s responders are a covey of totally naked female soothsayers who answer every request with bare honesty.
From its origin in 1812 by the brothers Grimm, through the near-cult status of Walt Disney’s 1937 animated masterpiece, this tale of murderous jealousy, an extraordinary beauty—quite possibly sporting the reddest lips ever—and seven dwarfs living in a magical forest has delighted readers and moviegoers for well over two centuries.
Now, so wonderfully coincidentally (most films are planned many years ahead of release), two completely different versions are competing for eyeballs. The Disney organization has issued a live-action remake that has been panned by critics and political activists (star Gal Gadot—a former Israeli soldier and beauty queen—under fire for openly supporting the Gazan war), is off to a rocky start. Here, Brooks has magnified the original “three drops of blood” and the Evil Queen’s snack of a formerly beating heart, and morphed it into a blood bath that revels in all manner of severed heads and body parts, rivers of scarlet and a force-fed poisoned apple that only the quid pro quo, life-ending “kiss” from the smitten Prince Charming can ensure that Snow White’s reign as the “fairest of them all” will continue—even with an invisible heartfelt dancing partner.
In the title role, Sanae Loutsis is appropriately demure, loving and ready to assume her rightful place on the ill-gotten throne. Stepmother and current evil monarch is most convincingly portrayed by Chelsea Edmonson, absolutely revelling in the prospect of feasting on her heart’s desire in a way few others can. As The Prince, Tristan Nokes plays the hapless role in a manner more suited to a cartoon rather “real” life, but that tone offers much-welcome calm-innocence contrast to the near non-stop carnage around him.
Of the dwarfs, shoutouts must go to Eric Pope’s towering Tiny and Jeremy Hallam’s ironically played Dozer. Brooks himself admirably steps into frame as Huntsman Gunnar while Lead Handmaiden is brought to curvaceous life (and inevitable consequence) thanks to Tabitha Bastien.
Many kudos are most certainly in order for the special effects team (also led by Brooks) and makeup wizards helmed by Spencer Cox. Andrew Scott Bell’s original score is at one with the murder and mayhem with everything captured in all its glory/gory by cinematographer Kody Newton.
Definitely not your grandmother’s Snow White but well worth a look if unbridled gore fuelled by unending revenge is your cup of ichor.
And do stick around for the credits. Nothing like Giacomo Rossini’s timeless overture to La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) to lighten up the credits, imaginatively constructed with candid outtakes alongside lists of all those responsible. JWR