then they served no purpose
The characters are not the audience and do not have their external knowledge.
You are right, I did mis-read that comment. You are saying that you find this incident creepy based on other circumstances
Refresh my memory: is Snow White’s age given in the movie? (And is the Prince’s?)
I don’t see how. The characters in this film aren’t even real humans, they don’t have minds.
Yep. And we’re the ones perceiving the creepiness (or not, as the case may be)
But their actions can only be fairly judged by what they know within the context of the story. You can’t have it both ways: if they “don’t have minds” because they’re not real, they can’t be alive or dead or give or not give consent because they’re not real.
I’m not speaking for anyone else, but when I say the kiss is creepy, I’m not really passing judgment on the prince. I’m only slightly passing judgment on the writers at the time. Instead, I’m talking about what lessons kids will infer from this scene. I think the scene is creepy because it glorifies kissing people without their consent, based on a very tenuous connection. That isn’t something I want kids to see and think is okay.
Gotta admit, I find the idea of kissing a corpse icky. But if I’d watched a movie where a kid kissed the corpse of his beloved grandmother, I might have shuddered a little, but I wouldn’t be arguing on the internet that it was gross and inappropriate. Because I’d recognize that my reaction was just culture clash. I understand perfectly well that there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with doing that, any more than there is with some of the consensual sex practices that I think are icky. Icky isn’t creepy.
The kiss in Snow White is creepy.
Highlighting absurdity is a great purpose
The characters aren’t real. They don’t “have” anything.
Yes.
If he had been, say, her brother and tenderly kissed her corpse on the cheek, that would not be creepy to me in the slightest. Or if they’d been a couple for years (and she was an adult).
No, that’s just the best guess.
I mean, if you’d rather go by the original story, where she’s 7…
And that, I think, is a reasonable point.
I suspect that part of the reason this is subject to such debate is that there are multiple perspectives you can look at it from: that of the pre-modern audience of the orignal fairy tale, 1930’s viewers of the movie, 2020’s viewers of the movie… and, yes, adults vs. little kids.
(When I brought up “theory of mind” earlier, the relevance of that to the young children watching the movie occurred to me.)
It all reinforces the idea that women are objects to be obtained like prize for solving a puzzle or winning a game. It’s straight up incel fuel.
Yes the idea that consent is part of a “woke” conspiracy to keep men from getting what they deserve is quite prevalent today, but I still think Disney is actually smart not pandering to that audience.
And in the story, the Prince kisses a corpse of a young girl he’s only seen once before, on the lips.
There’s a difference between portrayed actions of fictional characters, which we can see ourselves, and reading their minds, which we can never do. They are not equivalent, and I can judge the creepiness of an action based on what’s presented, whereas I can not make statements about that character’s thoughts.
Giving consent is an action, not a state of mind.
Reading the minds of fictional characters—that is, thinking about what they know, and think, and can see, and how it’s not necessarily the same as what we know—is a pretty basic skill for appreciating fiction (it’s the basis for dramatic irony). Although it’s one that young kids may not have mastered.
I agree with what you’ve said before, but this is utterly alien to me. For me, the whole point of partaking of fiction is to empathize with the characters. I see myself as a bundle of my thoughts and emotions and when I read fiction, it’s the characters’ thoughts and emotions that matter to me.
The Lion King didn’t veer too far from the original and was a success. And “interesting” has nothing to do with the amount of money made.
Do Disney have a load of evidence that a complete re-working of a classic story (to the proposed extent of this Snow White) is a money-spinner? I’m not sure they do.
They do know that a fairly faithful live action adaptation of a classic tale that keeps true to spirit of the original and handled by a good director can bring in a ton of cash (Cinderella). Absolutely no reason why a similar treatment of Snow White wouldn’t do the same.
I think a fairly true-to-the-original live-action could absolutely work.
Well that is the acid test of commercial success certainly. What will the crowds come to see? That is of course a very different beast to being any good.
They have plenty of historical evidence to back up the belief that a complete reworking of a classic story is a money-spinner, from the first Disney Snow White to The Little Mermaid to The Hunchback of Notre Dame animated musical.
Naah. Projecting our own feelings onto fictional characters, that’s what is common.
But by all means, keep slyly implying I’m a child, you’re being sooo subtle about it 
It certainly makes me take your argument seriously.
The character I have empathy for here is the young girl brainwashed into True Love bullshit. YMMV.
I actually meant to type “film” rather than “story”
Yes, I do realise that few of the classic animations bear close relation to the original tales. Most of those are very much toned-down from stories they are based on. (red-hot iron shoes anyone?)
Talking damsel rescued by Prince tropes of 1930s to movie’s marketing to girls today. That original trope. How much a live action remake modifies the cartoon when the tropes are not outdated is a separate discussion. Interesting has everything to do with money made to those deciding to put the money up.
No. It is still a big gamble. But they think a better bet than using outdated tropes and a better bet exploiting the IP than something not named Snow White. Their money their bet. Often the remakes have done well. Not always. Bottom line for bottom line will be if the movie appeals to today’s kids and their parents.
Yes. Decisions are made not about what an older man thinks is a good movie. Will parents pay to take their kids to it and buy merc? Do they like it? Will it sell? To investors that is interesting.
All fair points regarding commercial appeal and no doubt the money men have a very narrow concept of “interesting”.
Perhaps not in this case but it is an interesting train of thought. What would those fairy tales look like in a grown-up market? I recall “The company of wolves” which I enjoyed and Rammstein gave a very intriguing snapshot into what an adult Snow White might be.
Perhaps for another thread, we’ll not pursue that here.