Read the variations on the Snow White theme and select one
version to compare with the film Blancanieves.
(Post #11)
The
Brothers Grimm version of Snow White and the film Blancanieves have many similarities within their plotlines. Right
from the beginning of both storylines, Snow White (also known as Carmen in Blancanieves) is born. In both the
Brothers Grimm version and Blancanieves, Snow
White/Carmen’s mother does not live after Snow White is born. In both versions,
Snow White/Carmen’s father remarries an arrogant, cruel woman. In the Brothers
Grimm version, this woman is an “beautiful lady but proud and arrogant” queen.
Meanwhile, in Blancanieves, this
woman, named Encarna, is Snow White/Carmen’s father’s cruel nurse.
As Snow White/ Carmen grows older, the queen/
Encarna orders someone to put Snow White/ Carmen to death. In the Brothers
Grimm version, the queen orders a huntsman to kill Snow White and bring back to
her Snow White’s lungs and liver. Meanwhile, in Blancanieves, Encarna orders the chauffeur to kill Carmen in the
forest. In both versions, efforts to kill Snow White/Carmen are unsuccessful.
Both the Brothers Grimm version and Blancanieves include dwarves. However,
the manner in which the dwarves encounter Snow White/ Carmen in the two
versions differ. In the Brothers Grimm version, Snow White finds the cottage in
the forest where the dwarves live, eats some of their food and naps in one of
their beds. The dwarves come home and find that some of their food is missing
and that Snow White is napping in a bed. Hence, that is how they first
encounter Snow White. In Blancanieves, the
dwarves are travelling bullfighters that encounter Snow White in the forest. In
the Brothers Grimm version, Snow White stays in the cottage and cooks and
cleans for the dwarves. In Blancanieves, Snow
White becomes a great bullfighter.
In both versions, the queen/ Encarna
eventually learns that Snow White/ Carmen is not dead. After, the queen/Encarna
in both versions get even more angry and jealous of Snow White/ Carmen and try
again to kill her. The most effective method of trying to murder Snow
White/Carmen in both versions is giving Snow White/ Carmen a poisonous apple.
I definitely agree that the Brothers Grimm version was the most similar to the film. I think you do a great job at comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences between the two. All the themes are similar in both, and in the end the evil queen/stepmother gets what she deserved!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you pointed out the differences with the dwarfs. I never really thought about the different roles they played in each version of the story. In the film I think that carmen really "saved" the dwarfs. It wasn't until she joined in on the bullfighting that they became famous.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said, the Brothers Grimm version is definitely the most similar version to the film. I think Sarah makes an interesting point that Carmen "saved" the dwarves by making them famous. It is this fame that actually becomes Carmen's downfall, as it allows Encarna to realize that she is still alive and will be coming to Seville with the dwarves.
ReplyDeleteI like the differences in the role of the dwarves a lot. I like that in the film, her prince charming is actually a dwarf. He's the one who awakens her and saves her. I also like the traveling carnival vibe when Carmen joins the dwarves for bullfighting.
ReplyDeleteIn the Grimm version, the stepmother used magic to disguise herself and trick Snow White. While watching the film, a small part of me thought they wouldn't use the poison apple because the film is supposed to be more realistic than the Grimm version. But what's Snow White without a poison apple, right?
ReplyDeleteI was glad that in both versions the queen gets whats coming to her.
ReplyDelete