Snow White Remake: How A 1987 Horror Film Predated Disney's Changes

Felix Dubois

4 min read

Post on May 14, 2025

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The 1987 Horror Film: A Subversive Take on the Classic Tale

The 1987 Snow White isn't your grandmother's fairy tale. This low-budget horror film, directed by Roger Corman, takes the familiar narrative and plunges it into a world of gothic horror, sexual innuendo, and shocking violence.

Deviating from the Disney Narrative:

The differences between the 1987 film and Disney's animated classic are striking:

• The Evil Queen: Instead of a flamboyant, cartoonish villain, the 1987 Queen is a predatory, seductive force, actively manipulating and exploiting those around her. Her methods are far more sinister than a simple magic mirror.
• Snow White: The innocent princess is replaced with a more complex and ambiguous character, often portrayed as vulnerable but also possessing a hidden strength. Her passivity is replaced with agency, though it's more complex.
• The Prince: Forget the charming rescuer on a white horse; this prince is far more sinister, playing into the Queen's schemes.
• The Ending: The resolution is far more ambiguous and far from a happily ever after.

[Insert image/video clip from the 1987 film showing a key scene illustrating a dark or violent moment.]

Themes of Exploitation and Female Agency:

The 1987 Snow White explores themes of female exploitation and manipulation with unflinching realism. While Disney focuses on the fairytale trope of finding true love to escape a wicked stepmother, this version delves into the power dynamics between women and the inherent dangers women faced in patriarchal societies.

• The Queen’s use of her power and influence is a stark depiction of female ambition, albeit a dark one.
• Snow White's struggle for survival highlights the vulnerability of women in a world dominated by men.
• The film's ambiguity leaves the audience questioning who truly holds the power and who is ultimately in control.

Disney's Snow White Remake: Echoes of a Darker Past

Disney's recent "Snow White" remake, while significantly different from the 1987 version, undeniably shares some thematic DNA. The shift towards a darker, more complex narrative in Disney's remake isn't a coincidence.

Comparing and Contrasting the Modern Remake:

Several elements of Disney's remake echo themes present in the 1987 horror film:

• A more empowered Snow White: Both versions move away from the passive damsel, offering a stronger female lead.
• A complex portrayal of the Evil Queen: While not as overtly sexualized, the Queen in Disney's remake remains cunning and power-hungry, showing strategic manipulation.
• Darker visual tones: The visual style of the remake employs darker, more mature colors and overall aesthetic than previous Disney films.

The Evolution of Fairytales:

The embrace of darker, more nuanced interpretations of classic fairy tales like Snow White reflects a significant cultural shift.

• Changing societal views on gender roles, violence, and female empowerment have dramatically altered the way we engage with traditional stories.
• Audiences now demand stories that explore complex moral ambiguities and acknowledge the darker aspects of human nature.
• The desire for more complex narratives has fueled a surge in dark fairytale retellings across various media.

The Lasting Impact: A Legacy of Reinterpretation

Both the 1987 film and Disney's remake have had a profound influence on subsequent interpretations of the Snow White story.

The Influence on Other Remakes:

These films have established a precedent for reimagining classic fairytales for contemporary audiences, evidenced by:

• The abundance of dark fairytale novels and graphic novels that deviate from the traditional happy endings.
• The increasing prevalence of dark retellings across different mediums, showing a continuing trend.

The Future of Fairytale Adaptations:

The success of darker fairytale adaptations suggests that this trend is here to stay. We can expect to see:

• Even more subversive and morally ambiguous interpretations of classic tales in the future.
• Further exploration of themes like female empowerment, social justice, and the complexities of human relationships.
• A continued blending of fantasy and horror genres in fairytale retellings.

Conclusion:

The 1987 horror film Snow White serves as a surprising and influential precursor to the modern trend of darker fairytale adaptations. Its themes of female agency, manipulation, and ambiguous morality paved the way for the recent Disney "Snow White" remake, and its impact continues to resonate in countless other reimaginings of the classic tale. To truly appreciate the evolution of the Snow White narrative, watch both the 1987 film and the Disney Snow White Remake and compare their starkly different approaches. Seek out other dark fairytale adaptations – the trend is only growing! Explore further the world of Snow White reimagining and discover more compelling interpretations of this timeless tale.