Overview
Blancanieves (known as Blancaneu in Catalan) is a 2012 Spanish black-and-white silent drama film written and directed by Pablo Berger. Based on the 1812 fairy tale Snow White by the Brothers Grimm, the story is set in a romantic vision of 1920s Andalusia. However, the film approaches storytelling through the integration of Spanish culture from characters' names to traditions they follow. Additionally, the film alludes to other fairy tales including Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. While it retells stories originally told through tales based in fantasy, it derails from the traditional storytelling method that ends with a happily ever after. Instead, the film is rather dark and ends in tragedy. Berger calls it a "love letter to European silent cinema."
Blancanieves was Spain's 85th Academy Awards official submission to Best Foreign Language category, but it did not make the shortlist. The film won the Special Jury Prize and an ex-aequo Best Actress "Silver Shell" Award for Macarena García at the 2012 San Sebastián International Film Festival. It was also nominated in every category for which it was eligible at the 27th Goya Awards (except for Best Sound), winning ten Goya Awards, including the Best Film.
Cast
Macarena García as Carmen Villalta / Blancanieves
Maribel Verdú as Encarna, the evil stepmother
Daniel Giménez Cacho as Antonio Villalta, the father
Ángela Molina as Doña Concha, the grandmother
Inma Cuesta as Carmen de Triana, the mother
Sofía Oria as Carmencita, little Carmen
Josep Maria Pou as Don Carlos, the impresario
Ramón Barea as Don Martín, Antonio's manager
Pere Ponce as Genaro Bilbao, Encarna's chauffeur
Emilio Gavira as Jesusín ("Grumpy")
Plot
As a Spanish adaptation of the Brother Grimm fairytale, Snow White, the film Blancanieves follows the life of Carmen. Her mother died during childbirth, and her father was left paralyzed after a traumatic bull fighting incident shortly before her birth. Her grandmother cares for her, but after her death, she is left in the care of her step-mother who married her father for his fame and riches he accumulated as a bull fighter. She mistreats Carmen's father, as he is often left helpless in a room, however Carmen spends time communicating as best as she can with her father.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).