A House Divided

This week we decided to go out to the movies again.  We were a merry little band of customers with a total group of 5!  Usually we concur on movies; however this time, we are definitely a house divided.  As an Equal Opportunity Opinion blog, I’m including everyone’s thoughts.  You all can read our thoughts, see the movie, and draw your own conclusions.

Movie:  Snow White and the Huntsman (2012, with Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth)

House of Criticism:  Jason and Kathy both gave this movie 2 stars.  They were not impressed.  They both emailed me some of their thoughts this morning, and here’s what they said:

·         Lacked character development.  Jason felt he could not sympathize with Snow White and was unmoved by Kristen Stewart’s performance.  He also thought that Charlize Theron’s “soft beauty” distracted from the fact that she was supposed to be evil.  Kathy thought casting would have been better if Kristen and Charlize had swapped roles.  Kathy also did not care for the accent and voice Charlize Theron used in this role.

·         Stylistically great, plot lack-luster.  Jason and Kathy both felt as if “everyone was dressed up with nowhere to go”.  The movie looked great—they liked the costumes, setting, and effects, but they felt that the plot had no drive or substance.  They also thought the strange, mythical creatures in the forests were just points to “show off”.

·         They thought the movie dragged in places—especially with the dwarves around the campfire.  Jason also felt there wasn't really anything original or different in the movie.

·         Both agreed Chris Hemsworth was hunky and did a great job as the Hunstman.

·         Kathy was upset that Snow White and the Huntsman didn’t make out.  She thought that for an adult fairy tale, somebody should have been making out.

• Kathy did admit it was at least better than Dark Shadows.  (Again Johnny, I'm sorry.)

House of Literary Genius:  I give this movie 4 stars.  I really liked it.  I will say… I like a lot of things that many people don’t.  And there’ve been movies Jason and Kathy really liked that I hated. To appreciate this movie, I think you have to look beyond the screen surface.

·         Cinematic beauty:  This movie is absolutely gorgeous.  It’s stunning and beautiful to look at.  For a “fairy tale”, it was different.  It was dark—as the original Grimm stories were.  Very gothic, foreboding, and ethereal. The costumes were great—and I thought very appropriate to the style of the movie.

·         Interesting effects:  I LOVED the way they portrayed the mirror in this movie.  I also liked the dark army which was made of iron.  Cold, hard, dark, brittle---it reflects the soul of Queen Ravena.  I also loved that they used lots of ravens—when you saw the queen, she was surrounded by ravens.  She, by her essence, is a scavenger and harbinger of doom, so the raven is very symbolic of that.

·         Allegorical symbols:  Jason thought the queen should’ve been a more “dark beauty”—harsh in her attractiveness.  I have to disagree, and this is why—the most treacherous evil, the most seductive danger is that which is undetectable, alluring, that which appears virtuous.  We succumb to that evil because we can not believe such beauty IS evil.  If she were not a “soft beauty”, she’d never have entrapped the souls of men and stolen the beauty and youth of women.   There’s also, I feel (and this may be just based on my personal faith) a lot of religious overtones and symbols in this movie.  The white stallion that provides escape for Snow White, the white stag in the Fairy Glen that blesses Snow White—light overcoming dark, good overcoming evil.  Traveling through the threatening Dark Forest and then finding sanctuary in the Fairy Glen.  Also, when Snow White gathers the army to defeat Queen Ravena, she, to me, looked very much like Joan of Arc, armored and riding into battle to destroy evil.

·         Goes beyond Disney:  Snow White is not just the damsel in distress to be rescued by a prince.  She comes into her identity as a strong royal heir and goes after the queen herself.  She becomes the warrior.  Great anti-Disney point: The prince is the not the hero--or the love interest. The kiss of true love:  I loved that scene.  The Huntsman makes his touching soliloquy to Snow White, kisses her goodbye, and walks away.  Her awakening is slow and begins with tears on her cheeks.  I thought it was beautiful—and definitely original.  He doesn’t know he brought her back to life.  Yet…

So there’s the good and the bad.  But as I like to say…everyone has different tastes.  Don’t take our words for it… see it yourself and decide.  I leave you with a moment of comedy from the showing:

                Kathy:   “The Huntsman is hot.  I’ll take him.”

                Me:  “I like the Huntsman too!”

                Kathy:  “You can have William.”

                Me:  (giving a thumbs down) “But I don’t like William!”

                Kathy:  “So.....you can have William!”