Blancanieves: Movie Review

Blancanieves: Movie Review

Cast: Maribel Verdú, Emilio Gavira, Daniel Giménez Cacho 
Director: Pablo Berger

Blancanieves is an incredibly brave film. 

Spain's Academy Award submission is a black and white film, no doubt buoyed by the widespread success of Oscar winning The Artist. 

Set in 1920s Spain, it's the tale of Carmen, an orphan whose mother died in child birth and whose father Antonio, a famed matador, was left crippled after a bull gored him in a fight. 

Marrying his former nurse, the cruel and crazed Encarna, Antonio manages to bond briefly with his newly discovered daughter before Encarna orders their demise. Narrowly escaping Carmen teams up with a group of bull-fighting dwarves before an inevitable showdown with the big bad of the day. 

Wonderfully reminiscent of the films of yesteryear with a transcendant and magical score, which marks this film out as a potential future live cinema event, this is a silent film the likes of which have not been seen for years. It deserves to be seen on the majesty of the big screen. 

Wallowing in the medium and lavishing the monochrome, it feels like a full blooded piece from 1920s Hollywood as it takes on the Snow White legend in passing; it's romantic, eye-poppingly gorgeous and a nostalgic piece which is spell-binding and perfectly crafted.

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