J.B. Kaufman on Snow White - Interview
Walt Disney's First Animated Film Coming to Blu-Ray on October 6th
Oct 6, 2009 Dominic von Riedemann
If nothing else, Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs deserves mention as the first feature-length animated film ever made. The fact that it's a gorgeous movie that still holds up today is almost of secondary importance. However, the Walt Disney Company doesn't hesitate to remind us of that fact while promoting the film's arrival on Blu-Ray on October 6th (look for a review coming soon to Suite 101).
In this exclusive interview, Disney historian J.B. Kaufman talks about his favourite Snow White sequences, and why he thinks it's Disney's greatest achievement in character animation.
S101: Why should we care that Snow White is coming to Blu-Ray?
Kaufman: “I was telling somebody last week that I don’t believe in ‘greatest comparisons’ because you’re really getting into apples and oranges, but I do think Snow White represents the pinnacle of great animated film-making. I don’t think anybody has ever made a better animated film than Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. “
S101: Why is that?
“It was Disney Studios’ first feature and it’s the culmination of everything they had been doing during the 1930’s, which was developing the art of personality animation. We’re getting past the point where animation is a novelty and turning it into an art form. Snow White is one of the most perfect expressions of that."
S101: What sequences exemplify this for you?
“I could talk about any of the sequences, but what I’m getting at is how Disney developed personality animation: the way a character moves tells you something about that character. There are any number of ways to walk across a room, and whichever method you choose tells you something about the character who’s walking.
“Nobody had really gotten into that to the extent that Walt Disney did in the 1930’s. The seven dwarves are a textbook exercise in that art: you’ve got 7 little characters that are all the same height, they all have similar appearances, but you have to know instantly which one is which.
“And you can see how well they pulled that off. When the film first came out, people fell in love with the individual dwarves: you could identify them as 7 distinct individuals.”
S101: In calling Snow White the “pinnacle,” you don’t think Walt and his animators built on what they accomplished in their first feature?
“I think they did, but in different ways. Pinocchio maintained that same standard of character animation but added more sophisticated effects animation. But the heart of the art is that you can give life to a character that’s drawn on a page. And I don’t think anybody produced a film that’s better example of that than Snow White.”
S101: What’s your favourite sequence in the film, and why do you think it’s great?
“That’s like picking a favourite child! (laughs) The opening sequence in the garden is a favourite, because it’s such a charming little scene and they’re not afraid to let it stand on its own. In later years, a scene like that would have played out with some kind of wiseacre character undercutting the romantic feeling with wisecracks. In Snow White, they don’t feel the need: they let it stand on its own, and it’s especially charming because of that.
“The sequence where Snow White first meets the dwarves* in the bedroom upstairs is one of the high points, because you’re talking about the crystallization of personality. The animator Fred Moore – who was one of the two main animators who established the dwarves’ characters – did that sequence. It was one of the first things done for the film.
“One thing that people don't notice is that you only gradually get to know the dwarves: you gradually get to understand who these characters are and, finally, in the bedroom sequence, you get to hear their names. Fred Moore was one of the best animators ever, and this scene was known around the studio as ‘Fred’s sequence.’ He was in charge of the whole thing.
“The other top dwarf animator was Bill Tytla, also known as one of the greatest animators ever. His sequence, which was started at the same time, was where the dwarves go out to wash their hands. Grumpy challenges the group and he ends up getting thrown in the tub and scrubbed against his will. It’s another beautiful example of taking what could be an ordinary situation and giving it real life and presence because the animation is so brilliant.”
(In Part #2 of this interview, Kaufman talks about how Snow White came together, and some of the technical advances involved in the film.)
*Fun Fact: Despite the fact that the film is called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the actual plural of 'dwarf' is 'dwarves.'
Snow White Diamond Collection Combo Pack cover
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