3) Snow White And The Huntsman (2012)
In an attempt to re-imagine the character of Snow White as a self-reliant, capable, warrior of a young woman, screenwriters Evan Daugherty (Divergent), John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Hossein Amini (Drive) created this fascinating update of the traditional tale, which ultimately became the successful directorial debut of Rupert Sanders.
Starring Kristen Stewart as Snow White, this version sees the heroine imprisoned by her evil stepmother (Charlize Theron) after the death of her father, the King. Snow White escapes, just as the evil Queen learns that Snow White is the key to her own immortality, so she sends her men in pursuit, led by a local Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth).
While attempting to recapture her, the Huntsman comes to understand the reality of the situation, and the threat posed to the kingdom – so he begins to assist Snow White in evading her enemies and fighting back. With a stellar supporting cast, including Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, Ray Winstone, Eddie Marsan and Brian Gleeson, Snow White And The Huntsman creates an unsettling fantasy realm that features disturbing, enchanted forests, and strange creatures.
What makes this re-imagining stand out from the crowd is the fact that it focuses on all of the foundational elements that traditional fairy tales have in common with the work of William Shakespeare. The death of a monarch parent, leaving a corrupt pretender in a position of dangerous influence; the victimization and rejection of offspring; the responsibility of the martyr child to restore peace and order – all of these plot points work to build the dramatic tension and create a framework in which an iconic and idolized female character can become an independent and capable figure, rather than a damsel-in-distress that enlists bluebirds to help with the tidying up.
