Snow White and the Huntsman and Two Other Stories

Today, I am going to do a quick review of two books that I have read in the last week, and one movie.  I will try not to include any spoilers, however, especially in my analysis of the movie, I may have to spoil a couple of moments to make my points, so readers please be aware of that.

Pegusus, by Robin McKinley

Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors, simply because she is not so obsessed with action as many fantasy writers are.  Although there may be battles or wars in her books, often these take second place to the development of the characters, land, lore, and story.  All of this was true of Pegasus, my latest discovery of her writings.  The story seems simple enough, it is that of a princess and her Pegasus who discover they can speak with each other, an extraordinarily rare gift.  Naturally, conflict is introduced into the story in the form of magicians who see the way in which the two communicate with each other as an evil and a threat to the magic of the kingdom.  What makes Pegasus such a compelling story, however, is not the tension of the conflict, but rather the beautiful relationship that develops between Sylvii the princess and her Pegasus Ebon as they seek to understand the vastly different cultures of the other.  McKinley uses beautiful imagery in her story, creating word pictures that reveal the natural beauty of her landscape, characters, and relationships.  This is, perhaps, what makes Pegasus such a compelling read; that it is a carefully sculpted work of art.

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix

If Robin McKinely is an artist in her development of character and story, then Garth Nix is a thrill seeker, developing a fast paced story that zooms through the farthest reaches of the universe while still maintaining a compelling human element.  The basic premise of the story is that Prince Khemri has just come of age as one of the almost immortal Princes who help rule the galaxy under the authority of the Emperor.  When he comes into his position, however, the Prince discovers that not everything he has been taught is the truth.  Instead of a noble and adventurous collection that spends its time exploring and protecting the galaxy, the confusion of Princes is instead an ambitious, back stabbing group that is after power more than anything.  Prince Khemri must learn to use both his head and his heart to triumph over the machinations of both the other princes and imperial force which has its own plans for him.

I was reminded of Ender’s Game while reading this story, because of the constant suspicion that the main character was being manipulated and not told the whole story, a situation which makes the reader empathize with the characters.  The entire story can be seen as Prince Khemri’s quest to find, not just his identity, but his humanity in face of a system that would attempt to reduce him to simply a piece of a complex machine.  Instead of succumbing to the temptation to be what he is “destined” to be, the Prince chooses instead, in a powerful declaration of free will, to instead be his own person.  I wonder whether Mr. Nix is planning on writing a sequel where the consequences of Khem’s decision will be explored in the context of the rest of the empire. 

Snow White and the Huntsman

This film was interesting in that it managed to combine certain aspects of an art film with those of an action adventure movie.  The directorial choices in the way certain scenes were shot, especially with the emphasis on color throughout the film created a whole that was a work of art, while the liberties taken with the story of Snow White kept the pace of the film even at moments when it might have dragged.

One of the most noticeable aspects of the film is the profound use of color.  The film has a very dim feel for the most part, except at certain moments when different colors are presented in saturated glory.  The most emphatic use of this technique is used in highlighting the characters’ eyes; Snow White’s green and the Huntsman’s blue.  It is also primarily represented when red is seen, as with the fatal apple or with the roses that inspire Snow White’s mother’s wish for her child, and of course, with the reoccurrence of blood.  Finally, in the Fairy Sanctuary, all the colors are more vibrant that anywhere else in the film, a choice that emphasizes the unique otherworldliness of the scene.  The particular emphasis of reds and greens in the story serves to emphasize two reoccurring themes in the story itself, that of sacrifice, and that of new life.  Snow White is needed to be queen of her land, because only through her can new life be imbued into the dying country.  The sacrifice is present for all the characters, as each must choose whether to give of their own life and selves to save the kingdom from the evil queen.

While the movie was artistically beautiful in its use of colors, sometimes the directors choice in perspective on some of the shots seemed unoriginal.  The first scene that was very noticeable is when Snow White is riding through the woods trying to escape the evil forces of the queen’s army.  The scene bears a striking resemblance to that of Arwen and the Black Riders in the Fellowship of the Ring; the lone rider on a white horse winding her way through the dark, bare branches of trees, the faceless forces of evil on black horses charging after her.  Several other shots were reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, particularly overhead panoramic shots of the characters walking through wilderness areas.  These shots seemed not to fit in the general ambiance of the film and to diminish the total impact of what was otherwise a spectacularly beautiful film.

The actors in the film did a very good job at portraying their respective characters.  Chris Hemsworth played a fantastic Huntsman, relatable in his humanity and haunted by his past.  Charlize Theron provides an interesting twist on the evil queen, Ravenna by playing her as a feminist who has been abused by the men in her life and so uses her beauty and power to manipulate her way into power. Although her character seems to be free as a woman, controlling the men around her and able to pursue her own whims, she is really not a liberated woman as she is still bound to a male view of women; she controls men sexually but has little authority outside of her beauty, a fact that is made more evident by the fact that when she is portrayed at her most powerful, Ravenna is also naked or partially so.  She is consumed with her appearance because that is the only way she can maintain her power.  This is contrasted starkly with Snow White, surprisingly well played by Kristen Stewart.  Snow White relies on the men around her for protection, which would seem to be a very anti-feminist position, however, she becomes the more fully realized female role.  She is able to act as the agent of her own escape from the evil queen’s clutches, win the loyalty of the characters she encounters on her journey, and eventually, to lead them in her own right against the forces of the evil queen, where she is forced to confront her nemesis in a personal duel.  She also is able to do all this without a sexual component; Snow White is always fully clothed in stark contrast with the queen, almost overly modest: never showing the skin of her arms, legs, or even her chest.  Her modestly contrasts with the queen’s overt sexuality, implying that Snow White’s authority comes from something deeper and more powerful than her sexuality, that it instead comes from her purity of character, a magnetic force which draws people to her and demands their loyalty in a way the physical magnetism of the queen never could.  This is a subtle but powerful choice in a modern world where physical beauty is highly prized and sexual power is greatly desired.

A final aspect of the film that stood out to me was the unusual mixture of the religious and fairytale.  When the story is first introduced, the viewer is given a glimpse of the court of Snow White’s father, the old king.  What is unusual about this court is the presence of Catholic religious persons; bishops and cardinals among the members.  While one might expect to see such persons in the court of a historical figure, their presence in that of a fairytale king is unusual.  So too is Snow White’s recitation of the Lord’s Prayer when the audience is first introduced to her as an adult in her prison cell.  While the catholic or Christian element disappears for the majority of the throne when Ravenna takes control of the court and Snow White disappears into the wilderness of the kingdom, it again reappears at the end, both in the presence of the bishops and cardinals at the end of the movie, and in the image of Snow White’s scepter, a blossoming staff which is startling reminiscent of the budding staff of God’s chosen high priest in Numbers 17.  The film thus presents a weird combination of Christian and Magic, a combination which can be viewed by Christians as either a good and useful representation of Christianity or an evil one that can lead uncertain Christians into the occult.  For the Christian who is much more comfortable with the idea of fantasy magic in combination with Christian beliefs, the film is a beautiful balance of both elements, as Snow White is the chosen queen both by God, as symbolized through the priests and the blooming branch, and by the elemental forces of the earth, forces which are not those of evil spirits but rather are the remnants of an earth that god created “good”.  To the Christian who has struggled with the occult in the past, however, this attempt to balance magic and faith is not a good aspect for story telling, but instead can provide a huge temptation to fall back into old ways of magic and sorcery that leads not to deeper faith or a true understanding of Christ, but rather away from Him. 

All this to say, it is the responsibility of any believer in Jesus Christ to be thinking carefully about what they watch, to make sure that they are not putting another power ahead of Christ or allowing themselves to be misled simply because they enjoy something, while at the same time realizing that their choice may not be the same as that of another believer, and so to refrain from passing judgment on a brother for something that is not specifically proscribed in the Scriptures.  Snow White and the Huntsman is a beautiful film that tries to show a world in which fairy magic is in balance and harmony with Christian belief, a film that provides two examples of independent, strong minded women, with an emphasis on the good aspects a tradition of modesty and reliance on men in some areas of life.