![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Before I forget: Snow White and the Huntsman
So, on Saturday, I made my way northwards in order to see the only movie I've been looking forward to all year. Given the trailers, I knew it was probably going to be ridiculous and over the top and epic.
And it was all of those, but it was also good.
The movie pretty much had me from the first scene on, though the one that clinched it was Snow and her new step-mother, and their not-hating-each-other scene, because so often stepmothers are treated horribly by bratty obnoxious children.
It was also lovely how Snow's mother wasn't just a faceless dead woman. She didn't get much to do, and she was gone fairly quickly, but it was obvious that she was well-respected and not just a pretty appendage for her husband to dote upon. And she loved her daughter (even if the scenes were very much from said daughter's view, with that sort of childish glow to them)
Ravenna's army of broken crystal was gorgeous and ridiculous and I loved it. I loved how she used it as a feint to get herself taken in--that she used their expectations against them (as a prisoner, covered in grime and cringing).
*has moment* IT WAS SO EPIC I CAN'T EVEN. /moment
I'm sorry, I'll probably abuse epic a great deal. Because this was an epic movie about a destined heroine with ties to land and people, who would take back her throne and in so doing end the reign of eeevil. But it also was epic because it was about her and not about who was going to get to bang her. In fact, the concept of romance was a complete afterthought and OMG THANK YOU, movie. I am so fucking tired of "this movie has a woman, there must be a romance!" Burton's Alice in Wonderland was *supposed* to have romance (and if it doesn't squick you the fuck out that some old guy is macking on a girl he first met as a tiny child, more power to you).
But SWATH, for all that it's about more than just Snow herself, isn't about True Love Forever. It's about courage and destiny, about reckognizing the power within yourself. And also about ridiculous escapes and hallucinogens and women banding together--and about regaining the honor you've lost.
And also about inner beauty being the most important prize as opposed to outer beauty.
Also. Fairies.
Yes, fairies. That are creepy, but at the same time endearing. I LOVE HOW THEY TURN INTO FLOWERS/BUTTERFLIES/DUST. AND THE STAG. holy shit, the white hart--that is some EPIC MYTHOLOGY, GODDAMN.
I was all like, "Srsly, movie, did you just--" ok, I would have been if that scene hadn't taken an abrupt left-turn there. But I would have been (and I did consider it afterwards).
The pacing was great, too--there were a few times that I was expecting it to drag (whenever they switched the Queen's Evil Brother, for instance, or to William), but even then, it moved quickly past them (I also sort of felt like anytime Snow or Ravenna were off-stage, that the movie was sort of apologizing for having to leave them behind--but, uh, that's probably just inference and my own feeling for how those scenes didn't drag or go into "men stand around talking about how hot the chicks around them are/about how they're going to save the day" generally)
Actually, that's one thing I really appreciated: this wasn't a movie about dudes. This was a movie about Ravenna and Snow, and their histories and the women in their lives (Ravenna and her mother, Snow and hers and Ravenna). And when it strayed from that, it didn't waste time. (see Burton's Alice again, which spends a ridiculous amount of time on the Hatter, which drags the narrative down)
I was disappointed in one thing (I might have been disappointed in others? I don't know, I really really liked this movie, so I don't know what they were), and that was the dwarves. I honestly thought when the lake women (one of whom was Rachael Stirling, having chemistry with walls and stuff like the Huntsman--oh, god, I should go post prompts on the kinkmeme, ahem, I'm diverting from my point) showed up that they were going to be the dwarves--and was really pleased at the idea that the dwarves weren't going to be Yet Another Set of Dudes.
Sadly, they were. And they were pretty faceless--I'm not entirely sure I could tell any of them apart (aside from Toby Jones, BECAUSE HE IS THE BURSAR, shut up I am not obsessed with St. Trinian's). And they did have a purpose, and I really didn't hate that they had a bit of narrative--in fact, I sort of liked the whole concept that they'd been honorable Klingons and were now reduced to being bandits.
But. But, I reaaaally wanted Rachael Stirling to join them and have adventures (movie, you disappoint).
Also, HOW GROSS WAS THE BIT IN THE BLACK FOREST? omg BUGS ARE ICKY. *shudders* But I did love the concept that Ravenna's magic and stewardship had so ravaged their part of the world, and this is the cess-pool where the dregs all gather (I liked that her magic couldn't help her there, too--I sort of speculate that as being because the magic of the forest was like the nuclear waste of her magic, it has an affinity to her that she can't use in some way. ie, she can wreck things like the Fairy Forest, or stalk people through the snow while being made of ravens [did I mention HOW AMAZING THAT WAS YET? BECAUSE IT WAS], but the dark forest isn't something she has any influence over--I think I lost that line of reasoning there, sorry).
But. The forest was ew. Though I liked that Queen's Brother Dude also was affected by the hallucinogens there. TAKE THAT, MAN. Actually, he probably enjoyed it.
Inner beauty being more worthy (well, and proper bloodlines and all) was a great bit to hammer home, too. After all, the blind dwarf was the one who recognized her worth/what she was/who she could be. The fairies were curious about her, but I doubt it was her faaaace they were looking at. (I mean, I don't want to be rude, but while KStew is hot and attractive in that "girl dragged through mud with a sulky look" way, Charlize is. Well, she is Aeon Flux and the woman who battled assassins in that one video, and she's got presence--the phone just rang and I went to poke it, so I don't remember where I was going with this anymore)
Snow White and her amazing speech of AMAZINGNESS at the end, though. Where she rallies ALL THE PEOPLE to her. I was just like, "CAN I HAVE THIS IN EVERY MOVIE/SHOW, EVER" because ladies giving magnificent speeches are my favorite things.
It was way better than any speech Adama ever gave, goddamn.
And it made me bounce in my seat with gleeeeeeee.
I'm sure much will be said about the 'convenience' in a lot of the movie, but to be honest, they're no more 'convenient' than your standard action-hero contrivances. And they're all sort of perfect for a movie about myths and legends.
White horses! White harts! Convenient trees!
As a warning, if Artax getting sucked into the swamp in Never-ending Story made you sniffle, at least one bit in the movie might give you flashbacks.
(the movie has a lot of imagery that was inspired by earlier movies--well, visually, they might be anyway. NeS is one. Lord of the Rings garners more--with a few montages of Tramping Over Mountains, not to mention at least one horse-chase that brings to mind Arwen and Frodo's dash for the Ford. But LotR isn't the first story to talk of traveling through mountainous country, and chase-scenes are standard-issue for action heroes)
okok, also, there is a MAGNIFICENT BIT where Snow stands down a troll. I AM STILL SO IN LOVE WITH THAT. Because it's the whole "tiny creature vs giant" thing coupled with "self-sacrifice for ones allies" and "Destined Hero Is Recognized In Some Form"
Erm, that wasn't derivative, though. Not that I can think of? idk.
THIS MOVIE. It was like DELICIOUS ID-CRACK FULL OF DELICIOUSNESS.
Then there's the kiss. Or kisses. Because there were at least three in rapid succession. One of which is especially spoilery, so I'm ignoring it. One of them tries to kiss her after the apple biting, but it doesn't work. And then the kiss which does work is one in which the person doing the kissing is saying goodbye/letting her go (letting his own grief and anger go, maybe?). And I sort of deeply love the idea that it isn't 'love' which breaks the spell (because let's be clear, there is NEVER a "true love's kiss" line of country in this movie, and anyone expecting that needs to think about how they're part of the problem with the whole "a movie with women must have a Romance" expectation), but rather release/goodbye/letting go that does so.
Everyone 'needs' Snow for some reason; because she's the heir, because of her connection to the world, because she's pretty, because she's a figurehead. In the end, it's the not-needing her that brings her back.
Or at least, that's my thoughts on it.
In closing: I loved this movie and want to see it again, to piece together the bits I missed. Well, and also because I just want to see it again.
And the kinkmeme is![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
swathkink
And it was all of those, but it was also good.
The movie pretty much had me from the first scene on, though the one that clinched it was Snow and her new step-mother, and their not-hating-each-other scene, because so often stepmothers are treated horribly by bratty obnoxious children.
It was also lovely how Snow's mother wasn't just a faceless dead woman. She didn't get much to do, and she was gone fairly quickly, but it was obvious that she was well-respected and not just a pretty appendage for her husband to dote upon. And she loved her daughter (even if the scenes were very much from said daughter's view, with that sort of childish glow to them)
Ravenna's army of broken crystal was gorgeous and ridiculous and I loved it. I loved how she used it as a feint to get herself taken in--that she used their expectations against them (as a prisoner, covered in grime and cringing).
*has moment* IT WAS SO EPIC I CAN'T EVEN. /moment
I'm sorry, I'll probably abuse epic a great deal. Because this was an epic movie about a destined heroine with ties to land and people, who would take back her throne and in so doing end the reign of eeevil. But it also was epic because it was about her and not about who was going to get to bang her. In fact, the concept of romance was a complete afterthought and OMG THANK YOU, movie. I am so fucking tired of "this movie has a woman, there must be a romance!" Burton's Alice in Wonderland was *supposed* to have romance (and if it doesn't squick you the fuck out that some old guy is macking on a girl he first met as a tiny child, more power to you).
But SWATH, for all that it's about more than just Snow herself, isn't about True Love Forever. It's about courage and destiny, about reckognizing the power within yourself. And also about ridiculous escapes and hallucinogens and women banding together--and about regaining the honor you've lost.
And also about inner beauty being the most important prize as opposed to outer beauty.
Also. Fairies.
Yes, fairies. That are creepy, but at the same time endearing. I LOVE HOW THEY TURN INTO FLOWERS/BUTTERFLIES/DUST. AND THE STAG. holy shit, the white hart--that is some EPIC MYTHOLOGY, GODDAMN.
I was all like, "Srsly, movie, did you just--" ok, I would have been if that scene hadn't taken an abrupt left-turn there. But I would have been (and I did consider it afterwards).
The pacing was great, too--there were a few times that I was expecting it to drag (whenever they switched the Queen's Evil Brother, for instance, or to William), but even then, it moved quickly past them (I also sort of felt like anytime Snow or Ravenna were off-stage, that the movie was sort of apologizing for having to leave them behind--but, uh, that's probably just inference and my own feeling for how those scenes didn't drag or go into "men stand around talking about how hot the chicks around them are/about how they're going to save the day" generally)
Actually, that's one thing I really appreciated: this wasn't a movie about dudes. This was a movie about Ravenna and Snow, and their histories and the women in their lives (Ravenna and her mother, Snow and hers and Ravenna). And when it strayed from that, it didn't waste time. (see Burton's Alice again, which spends a ridiculous amount of time on the Hatter, which drags the narrative down)
I was disappointed in one thing (I might have been disappointed in others? I don't know, I really really liked this movie, so I don't know what they were), and that was the dwarves. I honestly thought when the lake women (one of whom was Rachael Stirling, having chemistry with walls and stuff like the Huntsman--oh, god, I should go post prompts on the kinkmeme, ahem, I'm diverting from my point) showed up that they were going to be the dwarves--and was really pleased at the idea that the dwarves weren't going to be Yet Another Set of Dudes.
Sadly, they were. And they were pretty faceless--I'm not entirely sure I could tell any of them apart (aside from Toby Jones, BECAUSE HE IS THE BURSAR, shut up I am not obsessed with St. Trinian's). And they did have a purpose, and I really didn't hate that they had a bit of narrative--in fact, I sort of liked the whole concept that they'd been honorable Klingons and were now reduced to being bandits.
But. But, I reaaaally wanted Rachael Stirling to join them and have adventures (movie, you disappoint).
Also, HOW GROSS WAS THE BIT IN THE BLACK FOREST? omg BUGS ARE ICKY. *shudders* But I did love the concept that Ravenna's magic and stewardship had so ravaged their part of the world, and this is the cess-pool where the dregs all gather (I liked that her magic couldn't help her there, too--I sort of speculate that as being because the magic of the forest was like the nuclear waste of her magic, it has an affinity to her that she can't use in some way. ie, she can wreck things like the Fairy Forest, or stalk people through the snow while being made of ravens [did I mention HOW AMAZING THAT WAS YET? BECAUSE IT WAS], but the dark forest isn't something she has any influence over--I think I lost that line of reasoning there, sorry).
But. The forest was ew. Though I liked that Queen's Brother Dude also was affected by the hallucinogens there. TAKE THAT, MAN. Actually, he probably enjoyed it.
Inner beauty being more worthy (well, and proper bloodlines and all) was a great bit to hammer home, too. After all, the blind dwarf was the one who recognized her worth/what she was/who she could be. The fairies were curious about her, but I doubt it was her faaaace they were looking at. (I mean, I don't want to be rude, but while KStew is hot and attractive in that "girl dragged through mud with a sulky look" way, Charlize is. Well, she is Aeon Flux and the woman who battled assassins in that one video, and she's got presence--the phone just rang and I went to poke it, so I don't remember where I was going with this anymore)
Snow White and her amazing speech of AMAZINGNESS at the end, though. Where she rallies ALL THE PEOPLE to her. I was just like, "CAN I HAVE THIS IN EVERY MOVIE/SHOW, EVER" because ladies giving magnificent speeches are my favorite things.
It was way better than any speech Adama ever gave, goddamn.
And it made me bounce in my seat with gleeeeeeee.
I'm sure much will be said about the 'convenience' in a lot of the movie, but to be honest, they're no more 'convenient' than your standard action-hero contrivances. And they're all sort of perfect for a movie about myths and legends.
White horses! White harts! Convenient trees!
As a warning, if Artax getting sucked into the swamp in Never-ending Story made you sniffle, at least one bit in the movie might give you flashbacks.
(the movie has a lot of imagery that was inspired by earlier movies--well, visually, they might be anyway. NeS is one. Lord of the Rings garners more--with a few montages of Tramping Over Mountains, not to mention at least one horse-chase that brings to mind Arwen and Frodo's dash for the Ford. But LotR isn't the first story to talk of traveling through mountainous country, and chase-scenes are standard-issue for action heroes)
okok, also, there is a MAGNIFICENT BIT where Snow stands down a troll. I AM STILL SO IN LOVE WITH THAT. Because it's the whole "tiny creature vs giant" thing coupled with "self-sacrifice for ones allies" and "Destined Hero Is Recognized In Some Form"
Erm, that wasn't derivative, though. Not that I can think of? idk.
THIS MOVIE. It was like DELICIOUS ID-CRACK FULL OF DELICIOUSNESS.
Then there's the kiss. Or kisses. Because there were at least three in rapid succession. One of which is especially spoilery, so I'm ignoring it. One of them tries to kiss her after the apple biting, but it doesn't work. And then the kiss which does work is one in which the person doing the kissing is saying goodbye/letting her go (letting his own grief and anger go, maybe?). And I sort of deeply love the idea that it isn't 'love' which breaks the spell (because let's be clear, there is NEVER a "true love's kiss" line of country in this movie, and anyone expecting that needs to think about how they're part of the problem with the whole "a movie with women must have a Romance" expectation), but rather release/goodbye/letting go that does so.
Everyone 'needs' Snow for some reason; because she's the heir, because of her connection to the world, because she's pretty, because she's a figurehead. In the end, it's the not-needing her that brings her back.
Or at least, that's my thoughts on it.
In closing: I loved this movie and want to see it again, to piece together the bits I missed. Well, and also because I just want to see it again.
And the kinkmeme is
swathkink
no subject
I love this movie so much.
no subject
I'm also kind of amused at how people still think we're meant to think Snow is physically prettier, given that the movie was really emphasizing "she's dirty, has nothing like social skills or graces, and is wearing rags/shapeless virginal white/non-sexy armor" the whole time. The only scene that really seemed to go "zomg, sexy" was on the beach, where there were only a couple birds and a horse to appreciate it. (And unlike some critics, I don't think they were trying to de-feminize her or make her seem "as good as a guy" or tomboyish, they were just deemphasizing the sex appeal because it wasn't supposed to be about looks in the grand scheme.) Those characters went "hey, pretty" and moved on (aside from creepy brother.) And, really, there's a bit of a shortage of pretty women around because Ravenna keeps eating them, so yeah, of course they're all going to at least stare a bit. (There also seems to be this thing going around where the "you look fetching in chain mail" is supposed to be reducing her to her looks. And here I thought it was an awkward attempt to help her relax. I mean, I'm not sure it was a SUCCESSFUL one, but there may havbe been a hangover involved.)
no subject
no subject
no subject
It's funny (well, annoying) but I was reading a review and it was bitching about how it was ridiculous to set up this love triangle and just horrible because there wasn't much foundation for it. And I stared for awhile because, hello, could the end of the movie not have been MORE CLEAR? She had more important things to do. Yes, both William and Thoromir cared/loved her, she liked them back, and I could certainly ship either with her, but that was not the point. And I LIKED that about the movie.
But that was the same reviewer who criticized that it was 'too convenient' when the bird gives her the nail, apparently having missed the whole part at the beginning where Snow helped the bird. So I didn't even bother replying, because that reviewer woman completely missed the point. *sigh*
no subject
They make my head hurt (and convenience is built into myth/legend narratives ALL THE TIME, hah).
no subject