Here we have the East German approach to the famous Snow White story and this one is from 1961, so this one came out pretty much the exact time that the Berlin Wall was built. It is another collaboration by writer Kalkofen and director Kolditz and if you have seen some of their other stuff, then you may agree that these fairy tale films (some of them based on the Brothers Grimms' works like this one here) are pretty much among the very best the GDR had to offer in terms of films. The use of colors sure helps a lot, but it is also the costumes, makeup and cinematography that make films like this one here a pretty satisfying watch. Like more recent fairy tale films, this one here is really short and does not even make it past the 1-hour mark if we don't count the credits. As a consequence, this is also a truly essential film. There is basically not a single minute when nothing important happens and they did a good job by including repetitive sequences like the mirror asking or the scenes in which the evil queen poisons SW in a way where they did not feel too repetitive. And then of course the acting is strong from everybody involved. Snow White as always does not have the greatest material, but lead actress Doris Weikow in her early 20s is as stunning as it gets and perfect for the character. Marianne Christina Schilling is the one to watch here giving the best performance with the best material, while the dwarfs, the prince and the hunter also make the most of their (not too) limited screen time. So yes, this is a well-rounded effort thanks to everybody working on it in front of and behind the camera as well as the rest of the crew. There's a reason why this tale is still among the Grimms' most famous and they did the subject justice here. It is at least as good as the West German version from the mid-1950s. A good watch for everybody and a must-see for fairy tale lovers. Go check it out.
Review of Snow White
Snow White
(1961)
Trust the name Kolditz here, this is a good film
11 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers