Blu-ray Review: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Diamond Edition)

Walt Disney Home Video is notorious for its release-vault-rerelease business model, whereby most of the major Disney classics find themselves rotating on store shelves for only a limited time before being pulled back into the “vault,” until being rereleased, often with a new edition, years later. While keeping demand high has its obvious business merits, it can be frustrating as a Disney fan with gaps in the catalog looking to be filled. But it’s hard to argue with Disney’s plan when something like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs gets such fantastic treatment in its first appearance on the Blu-ray medium.

While the trend with Blu-ray updates of old movies seems to lean more to the side of lazy – with special features often left in standard definition and usually absent of anything other than those already included on the previous release and BD Live elements that usually revolve simply around watching trailers online – Disney goes above and beyond with Snow White, using the medium to its fullest and making the purchase more than worthwhile for fans who waited for Snow White’s turn in the series of Disney HD updates.

Snow White is not only an incredibly entertaining Disney film, but fully earns its classic status as the first feature-length animated film, not only from Disney but in the entire world of filmmaking. Before Disney rolled out his masterpiece in 1937, animation was relegated to silly shorts, and many reportedly doubted that audiences would tolerate and find emotional resonance in a full-length animated feature. But Disney proved the naysayers wrong with his adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairytale, paving the way for countless Disney classics and in essence creating a new medium for talented artists.

Snow White tells the tale of an evil Queen who is so vain that when her magic mirror tells her there is a more beautiful woman than she in all the land, the only solution that comes to mind is to rub her out of existence. Snow White flees the Queen, however, and finds a mutual friendship with seven Dwarfs, all with unique personalities and a penchant for singing the songs that have become the hallmark of Disney soundtracks. The story, its ultimate resolution, animation style and music are dated more than 70 years, and have been exceeded but some modern Disney wonders, but hold up incredibly well for their age as a movie that’s more than “good for its time.”

The high-definition upgrade may not be as vibrant as modern films, but fans must remember that Snow White purposefully used muted colors in its production so that it didn’t seem as silly a film as the shorts it succeeded. So, clarity is the goal here, and Snow White’s clarity is frankly remarkable considering the source material. While some of the technological limitations of the time are still noticeable, Disney did a fantastic job of updating the visuals to make Snow White feel new again. The same goes for the soundtrack, considering it came from mono origins. And as the film was originally presented in 1.33/1 aspect ratio, not meshing with the widescreens of the high-definition era, Disney presents an interesting option – paintings designed to fill out the black bars at the sides with visuals that blend with the film’s backgrounds. It is an amazing idea, and again shows Disney’s effort in making this a truly worthwhile upgrade.

It is also packed to the brim with special features, between the two Blu-ray discs and one DVD. Plenty of classic features are included, but it is the new ones that truly shine, also making notable use of the Blu-ray technology. BD Live is used with the included games to help keep high scores online, but more interesting is the Magic Mirror-guided menu, which uses the technology to comment on the weather in the user’s home area, keep track of what was already watched and more.

And it’s a good thing the mirror is keeping track, because viewers could easily get lost in the wealth of features, highlighted by a special features extravaganza that is woven through a virtual tour of the original Hyperion Studios. This section alone is packed with hours of historical information about Disney and the film, as well as short animated films from the company’s past. It seems almost endless, and there doesn’t seem to be an ounce of fat. The special features practically provide a high-definition encyclopedia of Disney knowledge, rather than throwaway promo material. The audio commentary is also creative, using a key Disney animator and old recordings of Walt Disney himself to craft a feature-length commentary on the film.

Just like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs raised the bar for the world of animation, Disney has set the bar in the world of Blu-ray with its first “Diamond Edition.” It makes magnificent use of the technology of the medium, and will leave fans begging for the same with all their favorite Disney classics.

Special Features
-The Snow White Blu-ray disc is presented in 1080p high-definition with a 1.33/1 aspect ratio video; English 7.1 DTS-HD Mater Audio (48 kHz/24-bit), French and Spanish 5.1, DEHT Restored Original Theatrical Soundtrack audio; with English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles
-Special features on the Blu-ray discs are presented in 1080p high-definition and 480i standard-definition; with English, French and Spanish 2.0 audio; with English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles
-The collection includes a DVD with the feature-length film, Audio Commentary by John Canemaker, All-New Digital Restoration With Enhanced Picture & Sound, Restored Original Theatrical Soundtrack and other features also included on the Blu-ray discs
-DisneyView – Expanded Viewing Experience
-All-New Music Video
-Disney Family Play (What Do You See? – Decipher the Scrambled Image; Mirror, Mirror on the Wall – Which Princess are you most like; and Jewel Jumble – Test your matching skills)
-Backstage Disney (Snow White Returns – Newly discovered storyboards. Was Walt planning a sequel; Hyperion Studios – Explore Walt’s original studio; The One That Started It All – See how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs forever changed the world of movies; Exclusive Sneak Peek at Walt Disney Pictures’ The Princess and the Frog)
-Classic Bonus Features (Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride; “Heigh Ho” Karaoke Sing-Along, Disney Through the Decades and more

About the Writer
Bill Jones is the editor-in-chief of padsandpanels.com, a site dedicated to coverage of comics and games.