Themes and Underlying Tones

"1: I feel that the bigger twist in the story was that "Snow White" (Lilianna) was actually MORE narcisistic than the stepmother which is why she cares so much that she looks like her mother and dresses in her mother's gown for the ball. At the end when she is scarred for life, is she brought down to earth which is why she can now be with Will, and not because of the death of her "Prince Charming" character. I also feel for the most part, Lilianna was not as pure or as "good" as she made out to be, but was more self-centred, and jealous than the stepmother was in regards to trying to get her father's attention."

You were right to notice that, but it wasn't just Lili being narcisistic. A big thing in fairy tales is the Oedipal Complex, which Bettelheim writes about. Basically, there's a time when children (about age five or so) are believed to have an unconscious desire to take the place of the parent of the same sex because they have a secret love for the parent of the opposite sex.

So in this movie, Lili is shown to have an Oedipal Complex for her father. When Claudia appears, Lili becomes upset seeing her father and stepfather embracing and lying in bed. She tries to take her birth mother's place (and thus win her father's affection) by wearing her mother's old dress. Of course in this movie, the princess (Lili) wasn't made perfect. She was given flaws and shown to be a bit snobbish when she meets the "dwarves".

Also, I find it interesting that you mention "Prince Charming". In this movie, there actually are two kinds of "princes": The doctor (her fiance) and Will. In fairy tales, the prince is usually of a high social status, charming, and a brave protector (in the tale, the Prince saves Snow White from the stepmother by forcing the stepmother into burning hot shoes). In this film, the doctor is of a high social status and is charming, but Will is the brave protector. Ultimately, Will is shown to be the better "prince". He cares about Lili and makes much more of an effort to save her.

"2: Stepmother is actually the most realistic person in the movie, and probably wanted a child to give her life meaning. I don't think the child was about giving her more beauty physically, but about teaching her to be beautiful inside herself and to teach her to love (which is what she meant about with every beat of the baby's heart she grew more beautiful)."

I got the feeling that a large part of her dependency on her child (before the birth at least) had to do with her rivalry with Lili for Fredrick's affections. Lili had her mother's name, looks, and more time with the father. Claudia was relatively new. Pretty much the strongest weapon she had was the ability to give Fredrick a son. After the child is stillborn and she is left unable to have more children, she also realizes she is loosing her looks which basically leaves her with no weapons against Lili.

I also believe that the stepmother did love her baby though. Notice that in the end, the stepmother died because she turned her attention from Lili, letting Lili destroy the mirror. What distracted her? The sound of her baby crying. Claudia chose to put the needs of her child before the threat of Lili.

"3: The father was actually attracted to his daughter, which is why is relationship feels somewhat lacking with her in the story, as if they aren't really related at all. I feel this is why Claudia had the miscarriage and went into labour during the ball - I think the stress of realising her husband's attraction to the fairest maiden in all the land brought upon the labour."

Again, this goes with the Oedipal Complex and rivalry between Lili and Claudia. I do agree that the sight of Lili and Fredrick dancing was the cause (or at least didn't help) towards the miscarriage. The entire beginning of the movie, Lili and Claudia battle for Fredrick's affections. Lili has the advantage, which is why Claudia tries to keep her like a "little girl" in unbecoming dresses. When Lili shows up in her mother's gown and Fredrick chooses to ignore Claudia for his daughter, it was another blow.

I don't think Fredrick want to have sex with Lili or anything like that and I'm sure he loved both his daughter and second wife. I believe though that he still loved his first wife and Lili was pretty much a second version of her: Same name, same beauty, and even wore the same dress. In fact, there's evidence that Claudia is also jealous of Lili's birth mother (she has her own picture replace the birth mother's picture and defaces her tomb).

"4. Lilianna's relationship with "Prince Charming" (forgot the character's name already), was more about attracting him and getting him to propose to her so she could go out and see the world (go to Paris with him, etc). I don't think she loved him at all, but saw a great opportunity to escape the world she'd lived in all her life."

I felt that that was more of a social thing. He was of a good status, had money, and was charming. Their relationship could be seen as the "superficial" one. When he shows up towards the end, he seems pretty insufficiantly worried to hear that his fiance has been lost for so long in the woods and even kisses Claudia after. He gives little help actually rescuing or protecting Lili from the stepmother.

Will is shown to be the one that has "true" love for her. He is so desperate to keep her alive that he pulls her from her coffin and ultimately saves her life. He rescues her father from the castle.

Another thing, in keepin with the Oedipal Complex idea, is that Lili doesn't really achieve sexual maturation - when she loses the complex and begins to love men of her own age - until she is with the "dwarves". When the trees are falling, Lili desperatly tries to save a "dwarf" who is a father figure and Will pulls her away. Will pulls Lili from her Oedipal Complex towards maturation.

There are lots of fun things to notice in this movie. Good for spotting a lot of 'em!

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1: I feel that the bigger twist in the story was that "Snow White" (Lilianna) was actually MORE narcisistic than the stepmother which is why she cares so much that she looks like her mother and dresses in her mother's gown for the ball. At the end when she is scarred for life, is she brought down to earth which is why she can now be with Will, and not because of the death of her "Prince Charming" character. I also feel for the most part, Lilianna was not as pure or as "good" as she made out to be, but was more self-centred, and jealous than the stepmother was in regards to trying to get her father's attention.

Mainly, that is used for the sake of character development. In a way you can side with Lilli for having a stepmother while she never knew her real mother. A stepparent can be hard on a child sometimes and judging by Lilli's attitude towards Claudia and how she tried to get her father's attention, I think Lilli was jealous of Claudia for tearing her away from her relationship with her father, who'd been paying more attention to his wife than his own daughter. Yes, it does start off as her being immature, but as the story is, on her part, a sort of coming-of-age story, it seems pretty realistic that she should want her father's attention.

2: Stepmother is actually the most realistic person in the movie, and probably wanted a child to give her life meaning. I don't think the child was about giving her more beauty physically, but about teaching her to be beautiful inside herself and to teach her to love (which is what she meant about with every beat of the baby's heart she grew more beautiful).

Realistic in the beginning, maybe, but not so much afterwords when her PPD turns her trust to a mirror that manipulates her into killing Lilli, who did, in fact, apologize to her, and trying to bring her son back to life by killing her own husband...yeah, very realistic attitude. I do like, however, how she starts off as rather sympathetic and then dwells into corruption throughout the movie.

3: The father was actually attracted to his daughter, which is why is relationship feels somewhat lacking with her in the story, as if they aren't really related at all. I feel this is why Claudia had the miscarriage and went into labour during the ball - I think the stress of realising her husband's attraction to the fairest maiden in all the land brought upon the labour.

Um...ew. Actually, he isn't attracted to her. If he were, he would have taken advantage of her like that and gotten away with it. He did say, however, that she looked like her mother. When she dresses in her mother's gown to the banquet, his mentioning of her mother is what causes Claudia to spark a bit of jealousy that the memory of his wife is still quite alive to him and it causes her stress.

4. Lilianna's relationship with "Prince Charming" (forgot the character's name already), was more about attracting him and getting him to propose to her so she could go out and see the world (go to Paris with him, etc). I don't think she loved him at all, but saw a great opportunity to escape the world she'd lived in all her life.

Interesting point and it does make sense that she should want to see the world with him and then end up seeing the world with Will by the end of the movie and actually fall in love with him. However, my theory on Lilli's relationship with Peter is that she doesn't love him they way a mature woman would. It's more of a childish relationship. They natter away and Lilli admires Peter for seeing the world when she has not, making him seem superior. However, her relationship with Will is much more mature. They don't talk much, but they communicate with their eyes, Will sort of teaches her how to survive and she teaches him how to be a better man, therefore making them equal.

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I can't help being a gorgeous fiend. It's just the card I draw!-Lestat

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