Directed by:
Rupert SandersCinematography:
Greig FraserComposer:
James Newton HowardCast:
Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Sam Spruell, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan (more)VOD (5)
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When the evil queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) learns that her stepdaughter, Snow White (Kristen Stewart), has surpassed her as the fairest in the land and will eventually become ruler of the kingdom, she recruits a huntsman, Eric (Chris Hemsworth), to take Snow White into the woods and kill her. The Magic Mirror (Chris Obi) has assured Ravenna that if she eats Snow White's heart, she will live and reign forever. But the Huntsman takes pity on the girl, and instead of killing her he takes her under his wing and begins to teach her the arts of war. With the help of the Huntsman, seven dwarves and her handsome young suitor, Prince William (Sam Claflin), Snow White sets out to vanquish the Evil Queen and put an end to her tyrannical rule. (Universal Pictures UK)
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A spectacular thing and surprisingly quite entertaining. Visually it is very attractive and captivating. Kristen Stewart has finally escaped her role in Twilight and showcases a confident performance. The plot is solidly tangled, the pacing is just right, and you don’t have much room to get bored. It may not become a classic, nor is it a timeless thing, but a sequel would certainly not be a bad idea, and I was surprised by the precision with which they tackled it from a formal perspective. Visually more daring than, for example, the latest Jackson's Hobbit.
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(Though I think there isn’t much room for SPOILERS in this case, you should rather see the film before reading this review.) Neither a fairy nor a dragon. This modern rendering of the archetypal story epically spans the territory of Game of Thrones (the would-be harsh rural setting, the incestuous relationship between siblings), The Lord of the Rings (numerous “wandering” money shots), Disney movies (the fairy forest), Besson’s Joan of Arc (including an inappropriate spiritual dimension), and video-game fantasy (spectacular, bloodless vanquishing of enemies, and partly Snow White’s resuscitation, which is of course present in all versions). Other than the somewhat incomprehensible feminist subtext, the film’s modernity does not lie in reinterpreting a familiar story or putting it in a different context. Rather, the screenwriters merely stretched a simple story into a feature-length epic film, so there’s nothing left for us to do but successively tick off familiar situations. Our immediate recognition of the source material and firm knowledge of how everything will turn out in the end naturally draws our attention away from the content to the various treats for the eye (most of the scenes with the queen) and the ear (the dwarves imported from England). Unfortunately, the fairy-tale black-and-white distribution of power is not in any way relativised and if you want to cheer on Charlize Theron’s emancipatory struggle against the patriarchal order instead of the anaemic princess, the film will do nothing at all to support you in this. ___ The queen’s paranoid defence of her hard-won position, accompanied by her need to be the fairest of them all, could have been used beautifully to express a timeless commentary on gender inequality, to which the traditional (and the film’s chosen) ending conversely contributes. It’s worth noting that whereas the docile Snow White comes to understand “her” position without authoritative guidance, but surrounded by macho men, the more aggressive queen was, judging from the fleeting hints of her disdain for the male sex, guided by the upbringing she had from her mother and obediently accompanied only by her effeminate brother. Snow White’s climactic act of defiance follows a series of hardships culminating in her clinical death, when she is wearing asexual armour serving to deflect both arrows and the male gaze (thus creating the opposing figures of Snow White as being “butch” and the Queen as "femme", thus further confusing the already uncertain sexual orientation of the characters). Snow White paradoxically gains her exclusive position among men by becoming one herself in terms of her appearance (the exact opposite of the queen’s constant self-beautification). However, it’s possible that today’s girls (not necessarily just Twilight fan) are looking for this type of heroine, who must “suffer” in order to gain the victory that she believes she deserves due to her princess-like nature. The men faithfully follow Snow White only after her suffering reaches its peak (though anyone who has seen Martyrs might object to her lovely collapse to the ground). Unlike in melodramas, the topos of the suffering heroine here does not primarily elicit “unproductive” emotions, but rather conditions the active struggle. Paradoxically, it is the struggle for an abandoned home, where the possibilities for women’s emancipation are limited on principle. The film leaves answered the question of the extent to which Snow White’s rule will be dependent on men. There are multiple ways to interpret the symptoms of this new film version of Snow White, but I’m afraid there will be few that clearly favour women. ___ Snow White and the Huntsman is an outwardly appealing film, but with every layer that gets peeled back, it becomes less and less convincing in what it wants to tell us. 65%
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The awesomely beautiful Charlize and her initial intro get you almost immediately. And they don’t leave you for the entire movie. Sanders has a firm director’s hand, superb visuals (beautiful when required, dirty if needed) and everything ticks over nicely. The production design looks appropriately high-flown and has the requisite Lord of the Rings gilding. Kristen is great, but it seemed to me that he spoke too little for the main protagonist and draws very little attention to himself. Chris Hemsworth rocks again in the role of an inebriated hunter with a troubled past, and the meticulously cast dwarves were welcome and added a pile of laughs. Howard’s music is a pleasure to listen to. This is more or less what I had imagined it was going to be. Hail the Queen!
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This film holds together thanks to Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart, who are not only nice to look at and turn in decent performances, but are also great casting choices. The same applies to the other actors, from Sam Spruell’s Breivik-like villain to a group of dwarves, among which at least Ray Winston can only be recognized by his voice. Surprisingly, Chris Hemsworth, as the Huntsman, gets very little space given that he plays one of the titular characters and his relationship with Snow White doesn’t work too well (once again, given that it’s the title of the film). The dwarves’ lack of humor is also surprising. The film is excellent in the first third, which is dominated by the deliciously evil and cold Charlize Theron (Eva Green’s cold bitch from Dark Shadows can’t hold a candle to her). Overall, the film is not flat, it has a certain drive, is engaging and full of fantasy charm and darkness. The great visuals and J. N. Howard’s soundtrack are not surprising, as they were to be expected. The Lord of the Rings inspiration probably cannot be avoided, but the references to The NeverEnding Story were a nice surprise and suggest that the screenplay of the latter film’s Hollywood remake is already taking shape on someone’s desk in the city of angels. The film is too long; its second half should have been shorter and more dynamic. Overall, however, it’s still better than the childish The Chronicles of Narnia or the plastic Golden Compass.
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Great fragments, but a dramatic structure very blown away (hi ho, hi ho, we come to XY, we enjoy ourselves and then they attack us), no explicitly breathtaking moment, very solid craftsmanship, but affected by the effort to sell everything to all available senses at once. For me, it lacks a bit of finesse and stronger mythology, which would combine all the much dispersed influences - for example, when the dwarves sing an "Irish folk song" and Snow White prays to God, I do not know where I actually was. Some mandatory "mighty bloody battle" phrases strongly reside here (I would cut off hands for Snow White's monologue before the final battle). On the other hand, from an acting point of view, it is absolutely excellent, and if there is something that really excites beyond sensory intoxication, then it’s the well-chosen representatives of key roles (perhaps only Kristen gets a big life lesson from the predatory milf Charlize). Sanders certainly has a knack for playing with the viewer - I'm quite curious how his broadly targeted fantasy product will fare. Overall, I fluctuate between amused distance and enthusiasm - especially where this dirty girl dares to be really dirty and more daring than the polished genre competition. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm did not come despite a few good flashes. P.S. When The Witcher is filmed in Hollywood, Chris Hemsworth should be given the role of Geralt. The guy has style...
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