The live action movie by Snow White Of Marc Webb only he came out only last March 20 in theaters, but for months he has been talking about himself on social networks, and not in a positive way. The controversies on the political visions of the two main actresses (Rachel Zegler And Gal Gadot), the choice not to assume dwarf actors to interpret the seven dwarfs but to use the CGI and the plot considered by many to be too “woke” would have transformed the film into a flop. The budget of the film, in fact, was 270 million dollars, but globally it collected about 87.3, still remaining far from covering the production costs.
The film is certainly an adaptation in a modern key of the classic white fairy tale of the Grimm brothersand is quite distant from the animated film of 1937. But the famous German fairy tale where it was born, and what are the main differences between the many versions of the fairy tale?
Snow White and the seven dwarfs of the Grimm brothers: the original plot
In the 1812 THE Grimm brothers they published their collection Fairy tales of the Grimm brothers, and in it also appeared that of Snow White (fairy tale 53), with the title SNEEWITTCHEN (in modern German it is Schneewittchen). Grimm saw the fairy tale a few years later, which is located in the version of the 1857 from the Fairy tales of the Grimm brothers.
There plot of the fairy tale (1812) of the Grimm is simple, but more obscure Compared to that of the films: the young princess with a very white skin, Corvini hair and blood lips is the most beautiful of the realm, according to the magical mirror of Snow White’s mother (in the second version the evil figure is the stepmother, being the dead mother). Envious of the young woman, orders a hunter to kill her and bring her liver and her lungs to eat them with oil and salt (in the 1857 version asks only her heart). However, the man has the pity of the young woman and lets her flee to the woods, where he finds the house of the seven dwarfs who will welcome and protect her. But the queen, discovering that Snow White is still alive, deceives her with one poisoned apple that will make her fall into a deep sleep. The girl only awakens when, during her funeral, one of the main servants stumbles while carrying her coffin, making her fall and freeing the piece of apple from her throat. Snow White and the prince finally get married, and as a punishment for trying to kill the young woman, the prince orders the queen to wear a pair of hot iron shoes and to dance with them until death.
This first version was however preceded by others German versions noteswhose best known is undoubtedly Closer (1782) of Johann Karl August Musäusa satirical story told from the point of view of the evil stepmother, who at the end of the story falls from a cliff and dies, and his corpse comes devoured by the vultures. Albert Ludwig Grimm, who was not related to the Grimm brothers, was so fascinated by the fairy tale that in 1809 he published a theatrical version, Schneewittchenand then the brothers combined at least eight different variants of the fairy tale up to the one described.
The fairy tale in the cinema in 1937 and the 2025 Disney film
Who does not know the famous film version of Snow White from 1937, with Snow White and its classic yellow and blue dress crossed by red silk flashes here and there that recall the color of the lips? A decidedly more sweetened version than the story written by the famous Grimm brothers. However, there are elements capable of frightening children, especially if we think of the hallucination scene in the Bosco di Snow White. In this version, however, there is a variation compared to the ending designed by the two brothers, because the stepmother dies just like in the version of Musäus, falling from a cliff and becoming the meal of the vultures.
The kiss of true love Del Principe was an addition of Disney, who wanted to give a touch of romantic to the fairy tale ending (over time receiving many criticisms about it, for the non -consent of the dormant princess in the crystal coffin).
Live-Action directed by Marc Webb As soon as he came out in theaters, however, he immediately received criticism (relating to the cast, the choices of production in terms of use of the CGI and much more) especially because they are considered too different e progressive: In this version the prince is no longer a prince, but a sort of Robin Hood that steals the evil queen to give the poor, and Snow White alongside him in the company, becoming a sort of heroin. The iconic song Someday My Prince Will astherefore, has been replaced with another with the aim of eliminating the girl’s concept waiting for a man who saves her. The same actress who interprets her, Rachel Zegler, publicly said that she preferred this new version of history as it is not “sexist” like the fairy tale of the Grimm: the accusation of the actress is that the 1937 animation classic would have concentrated too much on the love story with a man who did not even really knew and who kissed her without her consent.
The ending has also changed, giving a twist adventurous To the story: Snow White, once awakened by the kiss of her beloved, openly challenges the queen, showing her in much more courageous guise and becoming a heroine. Although the feminist rivals are usually appreciated these days, many purists and purists of the fairy tale did not like such a drastic gearbox, according to which the fairy tale should be told as it is.
Is Snow White’s fairy tale taken from a true story?
Of theories on real origins There have been many of the fairy tale, but the best known are undoubtedly those of Sander and Bartels.
According to the German historian Eckhard SanderSnow White’s fairy tale had been inspired by the life of Margaretha von Waldeckdaughter of the count of Waldeck-Wildungen Filippo IV (1493–1574) and Countess Margaret Cirksena of Ostfriesland (1500–1537). According to the documents of the city of Bad Wildunen, the young woman He was famous for his beauty and for the dark hair (of his aesthetic nothing else is known). When his stepmother, Katharina von Hatzfeld, arrived at the court in court, relations with his father changed, and the young Margaretha was expelled from the court, moving constantly. Lastly she was ordered to go to the neighbor Weilburgto the Court of the Count of Nassau-Weilburg Filippo III.
In 1549, his father sent Margaretha to the court of Brussels of Maria d’Angheria, governor of the Habsburg Netherlands and sister of Charles V, emperor of the Sacred Roman Empire to improve the relationship with the emperor and other family reasons. During the stay, however, the girl sent many letters to the father where it was clear that it was in bad healthin fact he died in March 1554 at the age of 21. At court it was rumored that he had been poisoned out of jealousy, having so many suitor, but the gossip was never tried. Unlike the White of the fairy tale, however, Margaretha’s stepmother could in no way be the evil mind behind the alleged poisoning, because he died nine years before Margaretha.
Then there was another detail to penetrate Sander that the fairy tale had to do Margaretha, that is, the fact that his father possessed some copper mines in which many children worked, who lived in groups (about 20) in houses with a single room. Sander therefore thought that the hometown of the fairy tale was Bergfreiheitdistrict that now calls himself Schneewittchendorf (“Village of Snow White”), with a clear intent to attract tourists.
The Bavarian researcher Karlheinz Bartelshowever, he was even more creative than Sander: he claimed that Snow White was Maria Sophia Margarethe Catharina, Baroness von und Zu Erothal, born in 1725 a Lohr. Her mother died when she was only 13 years old, and her father, Philipp Christoph von und zu erothal, remarried five years later with another woman. The latter, according to Werner Loibl who in 1992 analyzed a written letter of his own hand, was one authoritarian woman who managed many important decisions while the husband was abroad, and who favored her natural children above everything.
In addition to the history of the Baroness, there were more details that made Bartels think that the story came from Lohr: the town was in fact known for the production of high quality mirrorsand it was said that these mirrors always said the truth. It was therefore thought that there was one at the Court of Zu Erhal, and there were those who associated him with the magical mirror of Snow White. But not only that: near Lohr there was the Mineral city of Bieberwhere men of low stature worked. The coffin of Snow White, however, could be inspired by the local glassworksnotes for the production of high quality glass. Finally, the poisoned apple could be associated with the pretty Womana poisonous plant that grows abundantly in that region. Elements that had become legend thanks to the fairy tale? What we know for sure is that Bartels’s theory does not keep: as the folklorist said Ruth Bottigheimer The Baroness was born later of the fairy tale, so she could not be the source of inspiration for the protagonist.
In full, according to historians it will never be known where history was born precisely. However, there are those who claim that the fairy tale draws inspiration from Roman legend of Chionepresent in Ovid’s metamorphosis. In history, Chione boasted of his beauty, saying to everyone that he is more beautiful than Diana (Artemis) and attracting the goddess’s jealousy on himself. To punish it, Diana transformed Chione into snowmaking her unable to enjoy its beauty and, symbolically, freezing its youth and vitality. This legend therefore connects perfectly to the themes of Snow White: jealousy, vanity and punishment.
