Snow White: A Tale of Terror

I had another round of remote roulette – it’s been a strange day. This time I spotted a strange little movie I’d seen only once before, Snow White: A Tale of Terror.

I am a person that love mythology and fairytales in all shapes and sizes, but let me tell you this one is a little too dark and strange for me – and I am a person that loves the Grimm brothers gothic tomes. But when they made A Tale of Terror they not only made Snow White dark, but they changed elements of the story and I both applaud the filmmakers for this and question it.

In Snow White: A Tale of Terror Snow White is a noble woman (not a princess) named Lilly, the dwarves are gone and replaced by dirty miners, and the prince is not a prince but an arranged marriage, and the real “prince” is actually one of the miners. But by far the strangest thing in this version of the tale is the “queen” played by Sigourney Weaver. Weaver plays her well, but this version of the character is twisted, into the dark arts, and mentally deranged. There is also a strange sexual theme running through this whole movie that just doesn’t seem to fit. I understand that the original subtext of the Grimm story does have some sexual subtext, but this is downright overt.

I suppose I recommend that you catch this one if you are into fairy tales, but other than that this film can be forgotten.

Director: Michael Cohn
Writers: Thomas Szollosi & Deborah Serra
Lady Hoffman: Sigourney Weaver
Lord Hoffman: Sam Neill
Lilly Hoffman: Monica Keena
Will: Gil Bellows

Lady Hoffman: You seem quite alive, for a little wench who's been rotting in the ground. I felt you stir. The moment you took your first breath, it was like a knife in my heart.
Lilly: You have no heart.
Lady Hoffman: That's too simple.