Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Disney's first "Platinum Edition" DVD is a terrific 2-disc set that every DVD fan should keep for all eternity. (I received an early, free copy from Amazon which allowed me to review it before the Oct 9th release date. This is a promotion by both Amazon and Buena Vista.) The THX-certified video transfer of the movie is blemish-free, almost always sharp, and has only an occasional softness perhaps due to age. Colors look splendid. The sound is clean and without a scratch, although some dialogs lack detail. The 5.1 audio remix provides mildly effective separation and bass for the background music. Otherwise, it is neither better nor worse than the included original mono soundtrack. The supplements on the first disc includes a 40-minute retrospective documentary that actually serves as a nice introduction of the supplements on the second disc. For nearly every aspect mentioned in the documentary, the extras on the second disc cover at length. There is an audio commentary track by historian John Canemaker that includes contemporary recordings of Walt reminiscing about the difficulties and fortunes during the making of the film. The commentary reveals that Deanna Durbin was once considered for the voice of Snow White, but she was deemed "too old". Canemaker, besides introducing each of Walt's recordings, also provides excellent scene-by-scene analyses. After the movie is over, Michael Eisner introduces Barbara Streisand's decidedly more mature rendition of "Somewhere My Prince Will Come". The first disc also includes four games -- two for set-top players, two as DVD-ROM content. The second disc contains a large amount of archival material of the movie. There are over 400 stills (all high-quality scans) of pencil tests, backgrounds, layouts, character designs, photos of the voice talents, photos of the production, the premiere, the 1937 pressbook, merchandise, and posters. There are quite a bit of video content as well. Notable is a new, nicely conceived, 40-minute segment called "Disney Through the Years"; it chronicles SNOW WHITE's theatrical releases in every decade (all trailers are shown) as well as Disney's accomplishments through the years. There are the original credit sequences with the RKO logo. There are deleted scenes that were fully animated and dubbed, one of which is a spectacular soup-eating scene. There are scenes that were conceptualized but were abandoned before animation, such as a dream sequence for one of Snow White's songs. There is a segment about the film's restorations in 1987, '93, and 2001. There are also vintage video of voice actors, models for live action references, techniques used in animation (two excerpts of Disney's "Tricks of our Trade" TV show are included). And there is more! There is a half-hour live radio broadcast of the film's premiere in which many celebrities are interviewed. There is another half-hour radio program in 1938 in which several songs from the movie are performed. There are two 4-minute radio interviews of Walt Disney by Cecil B. DeMille, one of which was recorded on the eve of the premiere. There are eight radio commercials from the 50s and 60s. There are recordings of two deleted songs, one of which, we are told, were only recently discovered in Disney's archives. There are also text screens about the film's production and Walt's life and career. A nice inclusion is the English translation of the Grimms Brothers' "Snow White." Future Platinum Edition DVDs will include BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN, THE LION KING, BAMBI, THE JUNGLE BOOK, CINDERELLA, THE LITTLE MERMAID, LADY AND THE TRAMP and 101 DALMATIANS. It disappoints me that DUMBO will not be a Platinum Edition (it will come out Oct 21st as a "Gold Edition" DVD). It irks me even more that only one Platinum Edition DVD will be sold each year for only a limited time; thereafter it will be put on a TEN-YEAR moratorium. This will no doubt lead to buying frenzies, so run, don't walk, to your nearest personal computer and order this SNOW WHITE DVD right away. I do not oppose releasing one Platinum DVD per year, since I understand it takes time and care to produce these great discs. But I do oppose Disney's long-standing policy of putting their video releases on moratorium for long, long periods. Their rationale has been that if people own the movie on video, they may not want to see it in theaters. Not true. Seeing this spectacular SNOW WHITE DVD has actually increased my desire to see the film in a theater.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one hour and twenty-three minutes and premiere in theaters on December 21, 1937. This would be the first full length animated film and the one that started it all for Walt Disney. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs tell the story of Snow White who is the beautiful step-daughter to the evil and vain Queen; full name is never given in the movie. The Queen dresses Snow White in rags and makes her work as a scullery maid. Everyday the Queen asked the Magic Mirror who was the fairest of them all and as long as the Magic Mirror told the Queen she was one sexy babe then Snow White got to live another. One day the Magic Mirror told the Queen she was no longer the fairest and the land and that Snow White was the new beauty babe in town. This upset the Queen to no end so she devised a plot to kill Snow White. The Queen tells the Huntsman to take Snow White to the hillside to pick some flowers and to kill her and to bring Snow White's heart back as proof of the jobs. The Huntsman could not bring himself to do the job and to tell Snow White to flee and never come back. Snow White finds shelter in the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs. The Seven Dwarfs discover Snow White in their cottage and decides that she can live with them, mainly because she can make gooseberry pie. Grumpy is the only who want her to scram because in his opinion women are nothing but trouble. To some husbands and boyfriends that statement may be true. Well the Queen finds out from the Magic Mirror that the Huntsman did not do his job and as the old saying goes: "if you want something done right then do it yourself". The Queen turns herself into an old Peddler and creates a poison apple that will make Snow White take one long nap. The Queen, now an old hag, finds Snow White and tricks her into taking a bite out of the apple and Snow White is now in snooze land. The animals of the forest rush to warn the Seven Dwarfs and it is Grumpy that leads the charge to save Snow White. The Dwarfs chase and traps the Queen to a mountain cliff. The Queen tries to loosen a boulder to kill the Dwarfs, but a bolt of lightning strikes the cliff and she fall to her death; and you the folks out there already knows the ending to the story. The only thing I did not like was the extra DVD that came along with the movie. The case itself is thicker then your usual DVD case. The information was bit overkill and Disney could have just done a one hour documentary instead of all the details listed below. Also what is not included in this special two DVD set are movie preview for which I don't mind at all. Barring the negativity about the second DVD, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a great movie to own and gets an AAAAA+++++. Disc 1 Play Chapter Selection Set Up Bonus Features 1. Guided Tours 2. Still the Fairest of them All: The Making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 3. Audio Commentary 4. Goddess of Spring-Animated Short 5. Heigh-Ho: Sing-Along Song a. Sing-Along b. Karaoke 6. Dopey's Wild Mine Ride' Game 7. Some Day My Prince Will Come: Performed by Barbra Streisand 8. DVD-ROM Guided Tours 1. Tour 1 2. Tour 2 Disc 2 Snow White's Wishing Well 1. History 2. Storyboard To Film Comparisons a. Introduction b. The Forest Chase c. Cleaning House d. The Dwarfs Chase the Witch e. The Queen's Order The Queen's Castle 1. Art and Design 2. Visual Development 3. Layouts and Backgrounds a. About Layouts and Backgrounds b. Layouts And Backgrounds Gallery 4. Camera And Tests a. Excerpt from "The Story of Silly Symphony" b. Excerpt from "Trick of Our Trade" c. Camera Tests 5. Animation a. Voice Talent b. Live Action Reference c. Excerpt From Tricks of Our Trade d. Character Designs i. Snow White and The Dwarfs ii. The Queen/The Peddler iii. The Huntsman/The Prince/The Animals The Queen's Dungeon 1. Abandoned Concepts a. Introduction b. Snow White Meets the Prince c. Some Day My Prince Will Come-Fantasy Version d. The Prince Is Captured 2. The Restoration The Dwarf's Mine 1. Deleted Scenes a. Introduction b. The Witch at the Cauldron c. The Bedroom Argument d. Music In You Soup e. The Lodge Meeting f. Building A Bed 2. Original RKO Opening and End Credits 3. Disney Through the Decades a. Introduction\Trailer b. 1930s\Trailer c. 1940s\Trailer d. 1950s\Trailer e. 1960s\Trailer f. 1960s\Trailer g. 1970s\No Trailer Available h. 1980s\Trailer i. 1990s\Trailer j. A New Century\Trailer The Dwarf's Cottage 1. The Premiere a. The Los Angeles Premiere b. Original Premiere Radio Broadcast (Audio Only) 2. Trailers a. 1937 Trailer #1 b. 1937 Trailer #2 c. 1944 Trailer d. 1958 Trailer e. 1967 Trailer f. 1987 Trailer g. 1993 Trailer h. 2001 Trailer 3. Publicity a. Scrapbook b. The Premiere c. Pressbook d. Merchandise e. Posters 4. A Trip Through Walt Disney Studios 5. How Cartoons Are Made 6. Vintage Audio a. Lux Radio Theater September 28, 1936 b. Lux Radio Theater December 20, 1937 c. Mickey Mouse Theater Of The Air January 9, 1938 7. Radio Commercials a. 1958 i. Radio Spot #1 ii. Radio Spot #2 iii. Radio Spot #3 b. 1967 i. Radio Spot #1 ii. Radio Spot #2 iii. Radio Spot #3 iv. Radio Spot #4 8. Songs a. Silly Song (Recording Session) b. Deleted Song: You're Never Too Old To Be Young

There isn't much that hasn't already been said about "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", Walt Disney's first feature length animated film. Suffice it to say that it not only fulfilled the studio's hopes beyond their wildest dreams, it made possible the Disney films that followed it. From the famous Grimm fairy tale about a beautiful princess who flees her jealous stepmother and finds refuge with seven friendly dwarfs, Walt Disney created a cinematic milestone. At the time the film was in production until the day it was released, rival producers were referring to it as "Disney's Folly". The sneering stopped when it was embraced both by critics and audiences, grossing many times it's then record (for an animated film) $1.5 million budget. Eight successful reissues have kept the movie in the public consciousness now for over six decades, during which time the field of animation has grown by leaps and bounds. Still. despite the cinematic advances and the passage of time, "Snow White" stands alone. While the classic story is but a framework for the film (a fact which troubled me for years), "Snow White" can be fully enjoyed for the pioneer it truly is. Along with a splendid cast of voices headed by Adriana Caselotti (Snow White) Harry Stockwell (father of Guy and Dean, as the Prince) and Lucille La Verne (The Queen), there are songs which can truly be called timeless: "Whistle While You Work", "Heigh Ho", "Some Day My Prince Will Come", etc.). Much time and effort went toward developing the characters of the Seven Dwarfs and giving each a distinct personality (absent in the original story) which went a long way in making audiences care for Snow White's plight. Interestingly enough, although the fairy tale was toned down considerably to make it more "family friendly", the overzealous way in which the film makers transformed the Wicked Queen into a hideous hag at the climax was the subject of an incredible amount of controversy at the time. In fact, it was under a partial ban in England which made it off-limits to children under 16 years of age! Nevertheless, it was the recipient of a special Academy Award in 1938. To go on about the impact made by the film would be redundant. It simply must be seen to be appreciated. In 2001, it was released on DVD as the first of Disney's "Diamond Editions". And many months before it was in stores, there was great speculation about the content. All the anticipation was justified when the DVD hit the stores. Critics and consumers were overwhelmed (just like the audiences back in 1937) with both the content and the painstaking restoration (beyond that done for it's 60th anniversary reissue) and made it THE Bluray for the subsequent holiday season. Without going into detail, it looks as if it were made yesterday, and sounds better than a film of this vintage could ever be expected to. But the streamlining has not diminished it's charm--only accentuated it. And when you think (before you are drawn into the story, and you ARE) that "Snow White", unlike today's computer-drawn animated features was entirely done by hand, that makes it even more of a miracle. Instead of listing the already well publicized bonus features, let me say that this "Platinum Edition" is like a self-contained history of the film, with hours worth of delights the most astounding being a pieced-together commentary by Walt Disney himself. Out of print for years, it is well worth the effort and expense to find. And although Disney made it a point to announce that they planned to go even further with their subsequent "Diamond Editions", Next up Beauty And The Beast October 5th!!

The Blu-ray release of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the slickest releases in Blu-ray history so far. It excels on every count: packaging, visual and audio presentation, the amount and depth of extra features and and all of the above at a retail price below most much less ambitious Blu-ray titles. I will briefly justify why I believe that this is a 'must have' 5-star for anyone who who watches or has kids who watch Disney animations. PACKAGING Once you remove the 3-D sleeve, the solid plastic (unlike the more recent 'cheap' Blu releases, this case does not have holes punched in it to save a penny or 2) you will find a Blu-ray guide attached to the inside front cover. The 'navigational overview' tree of the 2 Blu-ray disks is actually needed do to the almost baroque layout of features with some, such as the Hyperion Studios extra found on the Bonus disk with dozens of subfeatures within the feature. The inside cover itself lists the 27 movie 'scenes'. There are 3 disks: - The Feature Disk has the 84-minute movie plus a host of extra features. - The Bonus Disk has even more extras including the already mentioned 'Hyperion Studios'. - The DVD Feature Disk has the full movie once again. VISUAL AND AUDIO PRESENTATION Obviously, the original is greatly cleaned and enhanced to take advantage of Blu's 1080p superior resolution but that's not all. The optional DisneyView mode would make watching more enjoyable by filling the right and left side bars (the original is in a 3x4 format) with a static filler that changes with each scene matching the scene's own background, creating the impression that one is watching a 'wide screen' movie. Most of the extras are shot in uncompromising 1080p resolution. The highest audio resolution is 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio with 5.1 surround available for French and Spanish. The original soundtrack is also included for reference. An audio commentary track is available on the Feature Disk. EXTRA FEATURES They run the whole gamut. The Feature Disk has the expected and inevitable - but in this case with a twist - 'deleted scenes', several 'remote control games', a music video of 'Some Day My Prince Will Come' and a 'Princess and the Frog' sneak peak. The Bonus Disk has two main section. There's the 'Classic bonus features' that has content we would normally expect on a bonus disk - Heigh-Ho Karaoke sing-along, Dopey's Wild Mine Ride, Disney Through the Decades, Animation Voice Talent. And then there's the absolutely amazing Hyperion Studios feature. It must be the most innovative 'bonus' making this purchase worth it for anyone who may already have the movie on DVD. Architected more or less like a hypertext document, it allows the viewer to freely jump in and out featurettes dealing with the history of Disney, the animators, the making of various aspects of the movie, the cultural impact of Snow White and of Disney. And the above are put together with historians and some of the original animators talking, original story boards, full-length, uncut Disney 'shorts', reconstructed and re-enacted Walt Disney and animators commentary to specific scenes and their thoughts and views as the scenes were developed... like I said, simply amazing if you add the never-before-used interface and you consider the extra-crisp quality of the entire presentation. MY CONCLUSION I already stated it in the second paragraph of this review: if you are into animation and Disney, get it without hesitation. It's a steal.

My mother kept an old clipping for years describing SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS when it opened at the huge and prestigious Radio City Music Hall in New York City and received a rave review from newspaper columnist Westbrook Pegler. He usually wrote about politics but on this occasion he took time to devote an entire review to Disney's new film. He called it a "masterpiece" and said that when the projectionist slipped those reels of film on the projector, the audience at the Music Hall witnessed one of the greatest motion pictures ever made. Coming from him, that was high praise indeed. And seeing the film now, restored for its video bow, we can appreciate his words. There are faults, to be sure, but basically it has to be admired for the innovative techniques it used in the art of animation. There are memorable sequences thanks to daring use of the multiplane camera: Snow White's flight through the woods, the Queen and her Magic Mirror, the Queen in the thunderous transformation scene as the camera seems to whirl around her, the Dwarfs in the mine and their march over the bridge as they sing "Heigh-Ho", the dwarfs chasing the witch in the thunderstorm. Even the rippling effects of the water in the wishing well scene. And, of course, there are the genuinely comic moments that made even the great Charlie Chaplin applaud in admiration. Dopey's antics are always a delight, as are Doc's and Grumpy's. All of the dwarfs are given inventive and funny things to do. The animation for the heroine herself is so gracefully done, particularly in the "Yodel Song" sequence where she dances with the dwarfs, that it's almost like watching a real "Snow White" go through the paces. That scene remains one of the most charming moments from the entire film with the dwarfs all displaying their own distinctive traits. The music is a standout: Someday My Prince Will Come, Heigh-Ho, I'm Wishing, The Yodel Song, etc. The young in heart will always love this classic. The art work is so rich in detail that the cottage scenes take on a life of their own, as do the images of the Wicked Queen at her castle. It belongs in the top tier of Disney's crown jewels, along with Pinocchio, Bambi, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Summing up: an inspired work of art on every level that will remain a timeless classic. Note: This review is based on the VHS and theatrical version of the film.

Disney has definitely been at the forefront of Blu-ray releases, and "Snow White" is no exception. When I popped the disc into my Blu-ray player and the movie began, I was impressed by the bright colors and the level of detail, but I also noticed some slight digital artifacting. I have to admit I was a little surprised. The soundtrack was amazingly clean...the best I had ever heard in its many incarnations. After watching for a bit, I was looking through the packaging and realized I was watching the DVD copy, not the Blu-ray. Folks, let me tell you...when I put the Blu-ray disc in, I was blown away. It was sheer perfection. It was as if I was looking at the actual painted backgrounds and cels. And the soundtrack...clear as a bell. Just absolutely amazing. To see the transformation of the Evil Queen into the Old Crone bears repeated viewings...it looks that good! Disney has also provided an alternate means to watching "Snow White." Since it was originally filmed in the 1.33:1 format, those with widescreen TV's will have black bars on the left and the right. By choosing the Disney view option, the art of Disney artist Toby Bluth subtly frames the movie, acting almost as an artistic movie theater curtain. This definitely does not detract from the film at all, and because Toby has matched the style of the movie, it can truly enhance watching "Snow White" again and again. Plenty of other extras, too. However, those with the previous special edition of "Snow White" will want to retain them as this set does not repeat them. Mercifully, Barbra Streisand's version of "Someday My Prince Will Come" has been left off, too (sorry Streisand fans...I am not one of you). The extras that are on this set include: Snow White Returns - Newly discovered storyboards suggest a brand new Snow White featurette that never got made. For the first time, current Disney animators show how this short story would have played. This always blows me away; the amount of well-preserved vintage memorabilia and historical information that Disney has preserved. This never-made featurette was most likely and excuse to use two sequences deleted from the original film, but it is still fun to see the possibilities of more from the dwarfs. The One That Started It All - It is hard to imagine in this digital age, but back in 1937, Snow White really revolutized the world of animation. This featurette helps place everything in context. Hyperion Studios - Audiences are digitally transported to 1937 to discover first-hand the Hyperion Studios, the original studio Walt Disney built where Snow White was created. Viewers will be able to "walk" (virtually, of course!) the halls of this historic landmark. This amazing "Backstage Disney" feature contains newly dimensionalized archival photos, never-before-heard animator recordings, archival transcripts and rare footage of Walt himself revealing how Disney's gifted filmmakers crafted the very first animated feature. And not to get mired in the past, this Blu-ray also includes a sneak preview of the first 6 minutes of "The Princess and the Frog," Disney's return to hand-drawn animation, to be released in a few months. And yes, it appears to live up to the hype! Overall: GET THIS SET! Even if you have previous editions, the upgrade in picture, sound, and extras is worth it.

I am looking forward to the 2009 dvd edition because I have seen countless times my vhs masterpiece copy which still plays like a dream. True, I have quite a few dvd sets, but I am a diehard vhs fan with many still in current library and thanks to JVC for great dual systems to play alternate formats on one unit. What I like about the discs are the compactability for on the go units such as laptop video units which I also have two of, and play very well, both Sylvannia & Go Video, so the convenience of watching my favorite movies or tv shows on discs is great. I also like the internet movies, but the discs I can view anytime and anywhere, and being my laptop videos are also battary operated is an added plus. The features to these disc sets are also great, although I do find I dont have much time to look at everything, but I get them just in case the day comes I need extras to watch instead of the same film fare. The recent Pinocchio platinum release just goes to show Disney movies just seem to get better with the revolution of video formats because the studios do extra enhancements to the film footage which make the color and sound vibrant with clarity. The only complaint I have ever had with vhs format was the lack of freedom to skip randomly, and the need to "rewind" after each viewing whether the film has been entirely viewed or not. So I look forward to another disney classic in my firm grasp such as this Snow White feature. It was a techno animated pioneer of its day when it introduced the first long length cartoon film which recieved many awards from the Academy. The animation still looks splendid with the effect of water color in landscapes. The songs are historical with Hi-Ho, and I cant count how many references Ive seen from many other non disney movies in regard to Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs lingo. The intro scene of the queen consulting her magic mirror is the staple to disney villains. Snow White's eerie tree sequence as she escapes from henchman is still compelling and transfers well to the honored ride in Disneyland itself. There are many historical facts to the making of Snow White as the frame by frame coloring of Snow White's rosey cheeks which was painstakingly done by disney artists. It's also a hoot to watch the live footage of men dressed as dwarfs which helped animators with the dance sequence. The queen transformation to the evil witch hag is one of the best fright night bits in movie history as her witch makes the biggest impression alongside the Wicked Witch of the Witch in Wizard Of Oz. The final scenes of the dwarfs dealing with the poisoning of their princess is very well done and incredibly animated with reverence. Snow White's prince, however, makes a very slight appearance throughout the movie and barely becomes much of a standout character because he is not given much to do other than become the apple of Snow White's eye (couldn't resist). Needless to say, the seven dwarfs are the real stars because they are personality plus, and the cute animals all around are the charming backdrop to the whole feature.

ANOTHER GREAT OLD MOVIE TO WATCH WITH YOUR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDEN

Ich beziehe mich ausschließlich auf die limitierte Sammleredition in der schönen Samtbox. Zum Film äußere ich mich nicht mehr, er ist einfach ein grandioser Klassiker. Zunächst einmal muss ich sagen, dass ich erst spät zu dem Glück gekommen bin, diese schöne Sammleredition zu besitzen. Glücklicherweise habe ich über den Amazon Marketplace ein Schnäppchen machen können und die Box sogar zu einem günstigeren Preis erworben, als er damals zum Release war. Das ist ein echter Glücksgriff bei einer so streng limitierten Auflage. Nun zum eigentlichen Objekt der Begierde: Die Samtbox ist größer als ich erwartet habe. Und schwer ist sie. Das macht schon Eindruck und zeugt von Qualität. Sie ist rundherum mit Samt überzogen (auch an der Unterseite). Das dunkle Rot erinnert - wie im Märchen erwähnt - an Schneewittchens Lippen rot wie Blut. Dazu die Goldschrift und Zierde. Das ist wirklich hübsch gemacht. Klappt man den Deckel der ansehnlichen Schachtel auf, erwartet einen gleich die kleine rote Samtschatulle, in der die 8 Pins untergebracht sind. Jeder einzelne Pin ist wunderschön anzusehen und sie wirken sehr edel mit ihrer goldfarbenen Umrandung. Die Aufmachung mit dem weltbekannten Szenenbild, auf dem die sieben Zwerge über einen umgekippten Baumstamm in den Feierabend marschieren und dabei singen, ist wirklich eine zuckersüße Idee. Die Pins werde ich niemals aus dieser Schatulle nehmen um sie irgendwo anders heran zu pinnen, denn sie gehören dort herein als gemeinsames Kunstwerk. Als Bonus ist ja noch ein Pin mit dem Cover enthalten, welches sich auch auf dem ebenfalls enthaltenen Buch widerfindet. Alle wichtigen Figuren des Films sind auf diesem Pin verewigt. Wenn man die Sammlerbox dann weiter erkundet, stößt man als Nächstes auf die Blu-ray Hülle im schön gestalteten, geprägten Pappschuber. Darin befinden sich 3 Discs. Eine Blu-ray mit dem Film und einigen Extras, eine weitere Blu-ray nur mit Extras und eine DVD mit dem Film. Danach kommt der "doppelte Boden". Innen ist diese Box übrigens in blau gehalten. Man klappt nun also den Boden wie eine Flügeltür auf und tadaaa: Es kommen das Echtheitszertifikat und die Kunstdrucke von Schneewittchen und jedem der sieben Zwerge zum Vorschein. Das Echtheitszertifikat macht schon was her. Hier wird noch einmal bestätigt, dass es sich bei diesem Sammlerobjekt um eine Auflage von nur 2.000 Stück handelt. Nachdem man die 8 Kunstdrucke ausgiebig bewundert hat, kommt ein weiteres Highlight zum Vorschein: Das "Making-Of Schneewittchen"-Buch würde ich es nennen! Es erwartet einen ein massives, dickes Buch, das wie bereits bei einem der Pins erwähnt, das gleiche Cover aufweist. Am Einband des Buches findet sich das Goldmuster auf rotem Untergrund wie auf der Samthülle der Box wider. Das Buch zeigt einen ausführlichen Einblick in die Produktion des ersten abendfüllenden Zeichentrickfilms und man kann einfach stundenlang darin schmökern. Für mich - als Disneyfan von Kindesbeinen an und mittlerweile leidenschaftliche Sammlerin - ist diese Collector's Edition ein wahrer Schatz, der aus meiner Sammlung nicht mehr wegzudenken ist. Ein hoher Kaufpreis ist für "Normalos", die keinen Wert auf diesen Schnick-Schnack legen sicher viel Geld. Aber mir ist so eine Box jeden Cent wert. Sie wird sich zwischen meinen anderen Sammlereditionen sowie weiteren Disney-Titeln und Produkten auf einem Ehrenplatz einreihen und mich immer wieder mit ihrem Anblick erfreuen. Ich bin froh, wenn auch erst so spät, eines dieser begehrten und seltenen Exemplare ergattert zu haben.

Biancaneve è una bellissima principessa, che vive con la matrigna malvagia e vanitosa. Quest'ultima, chiede ogni giorno al suo specchio magico "chi è la più bella del reame". Quando lo specchio le risponde che Biancaneve è più bella di lei, l'invidiosa regina ordina ad un cacciatore di uccidere la fanciulla. Biancaneve allora è costretta a fuggire nel bosco e trova rifugio nella casetta dei sette nani, i quali la ospitano volentieri. Ma la regina non si da per vinta: usando la magia per travestirsi da vecchia, va dalla principessa e la inganna facendole mordere una mela avvelenata. I nani, dopo aver trovato Biancaneve morta, la mettono in una bara di vetro e vegliano su di lei. La fanciulla ritorna in vita quando viene baciata da un principe. Era il lontano 1934 quando Disney annunciò la produzione del suo primo lungometraggio animato. Il suo progetto sembrava impossibile all'epoca, ma alla fine il nostro Walt, dopo aver speso soldi, tempo e tutte le sue energie, riuscì a regalarci questa meraviglia: delle animazioni eccezionali, delle scene d'impatto e una grafica incredibile. Anche la caratterizzazione dei personaggi è resa bene: non credo serva soffermarsi sui fantastici nanetti o sulla regina cattiva. La protagonista è spesso oggetto di critiche da parte di chi la definisce 'troppo sdolcinata, mielosa, ingenua'. Ricordatevi che quelli erano altri tempi. Al giorno è naturale che il pubblico impazzisca per una Principessa che mette k.o. un cacciatore, oppure per un'altra che colpisce gli avversari a suon di padellate. Ma Biancaneve è Biancaneve: è giusto che sia pura, innocente e che abbia un pò di lato materno; perchè è questa la sua vera bellezza. Biancaneve e i sette nani è impeccabile per essere un film del 1937, non solo per la sua perfezione grafica, ma soprattutto per l'atmosfera musicale e fiabesca che coinvolge lo spettatore e lo porta al di fuori della realtà, quell'atmosfera che, d'ora in poi, caratterizzerà quasi tutti i film d'animazione, Disney e non. Un vero capolavoro da trasmettere alle successive generazioni.

GREAT MOVIE

Bon film

La clásica de clásicas. El primer dibujo animado de Disney el cual se reestrenó y coloreó para su distribución (originalmente la película era en blanco y negro). La imagen es fabulosa y gana enteros en todos los apartados. Jamás se había visto tan bien y la crítica especializada le ha otorgado algunas calificaciones perfectas por la fabulosa restauración que realizó Disney. Trae el redoblaje del 2001, pero la verdad es que me gustó ese doblaje y nunca vi el del VHS. El audio latino es Dolby Digital 5.1, el cual se oye muy bien en teles sin barra de sonido. También trae audio en inglés 5.1 DTS-HDMA y subtítulos en ambos idiomas. El código digital es válido solo para USA.