It has been said that folk lore enlarges the view of human life and brings the individual into closer union with his fellows, thereby teaching the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. If such virtue be ascribed to folk lore, then one can readily comprehend the universality of the appeal of fable, fairy tale, and myth. Since time beyond measure, these simple literary forms have been a cherished part of man's heritage of culture. They have persisted from generation to generation, in Orient and Occident and from pole to pole. Evidently man looks upon the folk tale and finds it good.
Reasons in considerable variety have been advanced to account for both the antiquity and the prevalence of folk lore. Origins have been discovered in a tendency to seek causes for mystifying effects; in the effort of religionist or moralist to inculcate, by story or by rudimentary drama, the basic principles of orthodox living; in the earnest strivings of society, however primitive or simple, to perpetuate desirable mores; in an instinctive need for entertainment and inspiration.
The focal point of interest in a study of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, however, is the means which the producer has devised to carry his materials. With the Disney masterpiece, the screen enacts the role of leader, bard, gleeman, minstrel, and player. To glimpse, in microscopic retrospect, primitive man crouched before his fire, intent upon a narrative of legendary prowess, and then to catch the enthusiasm of a modern audience equally intent upon the technicolor beauty of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is to span the ages in the flash of a foot of film.
The film story of the young princess and her seven dwarfs is an accomplishment of unusual artistic and sociological import. Here is a new medium whereby every appeal possible in folk lore — be it light or serious, entertaining or didactic — is made with superlative effect. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is at once delightful entertainment and archive; it is both stirring folk drama and document. Walt Disney's unique photoplay makes a happy contribution not only to the art of the screen but also to the art of gracious, kindly living.
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[See also article by Jim Korkis on MousePlanet (2016-06-22):
Snow White Appreciation Guide]
