So some cable channel is showing 1997,s Snow White: a Tale of Terror, and the “dwarves” are as represented in the title of this thread. I am pretty schooled in pop culture, but I cannot remember what contortions of logic they twisted themselves through to justify this absurd departure from Snow White lore. Anybody remember what absurd logic they tried to sell this decision on?
Why do you assume they tried to justify it at all? There have been countless adaptations of old stories with new twists. Someone just might have thought this made for a good story.
Are you sure you’re not watching Skinemax?
I think the Brothers Grimm should sue.
Now there’s a movie pitch. A vampire court drama.
Snow White’s father and stepmother were wealthy aristocrats. They replaced the seven dwarfs with seven proletarians.
Instead of a difference in height, they made it a difference in class.
There’s a Japanese fairy tale where the princess is helped by a group of people with superpowers. The world’s first super hero team!
The filmmakers were going for a “realistic” depiction of the story.
Instead of being royalty, the protagonist is simply the daughter of a rich man.
Instead of seven dwarfs, there were seven peasants.
When the witch casts spells, she uses sympathetic magic techniques that an anthropologist would recognize.
Personally, I like this version of the story.
I must also add, as a lifelong Tolkien fan and D&D geek, it really pains me to write “dwarfs” instead of “dwarves”.
Especially as the “dwarfs” in the original story are obviously gnomes.
Thanks for an honest answer. Now that you mention it, I do recall this rationalization.