Totally love the love triangle, which I imagine turns into a threesome in the future. And I also liked the way that Snow White's love life wasn't the point of the story. Loved how active she was. I had to imagine a backstory for her power, in order for the story to make sense, but I'm ok with that. So much fanfiction potential, especially concerning what happens next, as you pointed out. I agree that there were some troublesome and disturbing themes throughout the movie, but no worse than in the fairy tale itself. The truth is, I felt for Ravenna while at the same time despising her actions in the present. What a horrible way to live! How afraid she must have been to resort to it! I would love to learn more about the courageous women who defied her by scarring themselves and their daughters. How did they figure it out? And what did Ravenna do in response?
I think there was lots about the movie that was genuinely excellent, starting with the heroine being kickass and charging into battle! But I've always found the way fairy tales treat beauty and power in women to be very troublesome, and this film actually made it more explicit and troubling. It doesn't make it a bad movie, it just makes it movie I'm not going to like unreservedly.
Um, this made me have thoughts as well, so bear with me?
First of all, I want to say that it's probably the worst movie I've ever seen. I genuinely don't understand how a film executive watched the finished product and thought it was a good thing to put into the world. My interpretation is that he was probably high. (I'm just going to say this - no plot. No. plot. I... left the cinema laughing, because, what was even thisI don't have a lot of thoughts about the love triangle, if not that I don't understand why the huntsman was in the title and that the queen turning into William was too downplayed to fit into the idea of Snow White and served only to thicken the already-heavy thread of sexual tension running between the Queen and Snow
( ... )
(Um, it didn't all fit in one comment? Sorry, sorry.)
Besides (and though I couldn't suspend my disbelief about Snow's battle skills when the viewer was never shown any training scene and the movie made it look as though there wasn't any and Snow went to war directly upon waking), I don't think Snow's beauty is what saves her, in the end. Her 'goodness' is what saves her, as well as her (supposed) skills as a warrior, or at least the bravery (coughmadnesscough) that pushes her to go to war. She is shown 'strategizing' (if you can call it that) - she is an intelligent woman, ready to fight for what she believes in and to decide herself. Though she is more beautiful than the Queen, the only thing that provokes is the Queen's hate mixed with latent sexual desire for her. At no point does Snow or any of her allies mention her being beautiful as a reason to follow her into battle (though I don't really know why they do it. Her speech was cringe-worthy, as were her attempts at strategizing
( ... )
I mean, it was a pretty dreadful movie, all told, but I am totally fascinated by fairytales and what different retellings of fairytales can tell us about society's expectations of women at the time. Like in, this one, Snow White is WAY less passive, which is awesome - and the movie was heavily promoted with that warrior theme, all the posters and stuff had KStew in her armour, riding into battle.
But the beauty=virtue and trying to be beautiful=evil was actually, like, more explicit than in the original tale. It was deconstructed to some extent, but not very well, because the film was pretty shitty and couldn't really construct a decent plotline, much less subvert one
( ... )
Just: oh my God, don't get angry, I wasn't trying to undermine what you were saying or anything, just sharing my thoughts? I have so much admiration but your writing and the way you think, seriously.
I agree that the way the movie was promoted and the way it showed Snow White as being a strong, warrior woman was great. I just don't think the movie lived up to that promise. (Though KStew does look fetching in mail, Chris has a point there.)
I think the main problem of the movie is that it could've been really good, and ended up not living up to its potential. It could have been a movie about a strong woman and a criticism of the fairytales' vision of women's place in society and the things they should try to achieve, but it wasn't.
I agree with everything you say, I do. The image of women in our society is deplorable and makes me want to cry and I still want someone to explain 50 shades of grey to me because what.
I have all of these issues also, plus more: what the hell kind of battle plan was that, there is no way that would have worked and also why did no-one but Snow and the Huntsman have shields argh.
But Ravenna's wardrobe was fabulous. Although I admit the whole time I was sitting there thinking, 'Cersei Lannister would eat you for breakfast and pick her teeth with your crown.'
Well, to be fair, mobs of peasants generally WERE battering rams, so they actually got that bit right, if accidentally. Also, Snow gets bonus points for tying her bloody hair up when going into a battle situation.
It's the little things. Pity about the big things, though.
Charlize, lol. I read an interview quote on Tumblr about how she managed that queenly posture; she said something like, 'You put your shoulders back, your head high, and think, MURDER.'
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So much fanfiction potential, especially concerning what happens next, as you pointed out.
I agree that there were some troublesome and disturbing themes throughout the movie, but no worse than in the fairy tale itself.
The truth is, I felt for Ravenna while at the same time despising her actions in the present. What a horrible way to live! How afraid she must have been to resort to it!
I would love to learn more about the courageous women who defied her by scarring themselves and their daughters. How did they figure it out? And what did Ravenna do in response?
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First of all, I want to say that it's probably the worst movie I've ever seen. I genuinely don't understand how a film executive watched the finished product and thought it was a good thing to put into the world. My interpretation is that he was probably high. (I'm just going to say this - no plot. No. plot. I... left the cinema laughing, because, what was even thisI don't have a lot of thoughts about the love triangle, if not that I don't understand why the huntsman was in the title and that the queen turning into William was too downplayed to fit into the idea of Snow White and served only to thicken the already-heavy thread of sexual tension running between the Queen and Snow ( ... )
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Besides (and though I couldn't suspend my disbelief about Snow's battle skills when the viewer was never shown any training scene and the movie made it look as though there wasn't any and Snow went to war directly upon waking), I don't think Snow's beauty is what saves her, in the end. Her 'goodness' is what saves her, as well as her (supposed) skills as a warrior, or at least the bravery (coughmadnesscough) that pushes her to go to war. She is shown 'strategizing' (if you can call it that) - she is an intelligent woman, ready to fight for what she believes in and to decide herself. Though she is more beautiful than the Queen, the only thing that provokes is the Queen's hate mixed with latent sexual desire for her. At no point does Snow or any of her allies mention her being beautiful as a reason to follow her into battle (though I don't really know why they do it. Her speech was cringe-worthy, as were her attempts at strategizing ( ... )
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But the beauty=virtue and trying to be beautiful=evil was actually, like, more explicit than in the original tale. It was deconstructed to some extent, but not very well, because the film was pretty shitty and couldn't really construct a decent plotline, much less subvert one ( ... )
Reply
I agree that the way the movie was promoted and the way it showed Snow White as being a strong, warrior woman was great. I just don't think the movie lived up to that promise. (Though KStew does look fetching in mail, Chris has a point there.)
I think the main problem of the movie is that it could've been really good, and ended up not living up to its potential. It could have been a movie about a strong woman and a criticism of the fairytales' vision of women's place in society and the things they should try to achieve, but it wasn't.
I agree with everything you say, I do. The image of women in our society is deplorable and makes me want to cry and I still want someone to explain 50 shades of grey to me because what.
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I have all of these issues also, plus more: what the hell kind of battle plan was that, there is no way that would have worked and also why did no-one but Snow and the Huntsman have shields argh.
But Ravenna's wardrobe was fabulous. Although I admit the whole time I was sitting there thinking, 'Cersei Lannister would eat you for breakfast and pick her teeth with your crown.'
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Yes, that battle plan was dreadful! See also: mob of peasants as a battering ram, WTF.
I got the impression that Charlize Theron was enjoying herself a LOT, chewing on the scenery and flinging herself around on those gowns.
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It's the little things. Pity about the big things, though.
Charlize, lol. I read an interview quote on Tumblr about how she managed that queenly posture; she said something like, 'You put your shoulders back, your head high, and think, MURDER.'
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