Today's post is to do with Snow White and the Huntsman. I was immensely disappointed with this move for a number of reasons which I shall go in to in a second. And don't worry, it does have something to do with writing! And a warning, this article does contain spoilers.
What ruined this movie most of all was the much hated Kristen Stewart. Though I'm sure she tries her hardest, the Easter Island statues could do a better job. At least they don't think that breathing heavily constitutes emotion. It's the same expression throughout. Now I'm certain that her failure is not the director's fault. Though he also has a lot to answer for, considering he cast her. The other performances were good if not great, notably Charlize Theron and some of the Dwarves. Chris Hemsworth's best scene was the one where he kisses Snow White back to life, and the irony is not lost on me that it's his only scene which she's not in.
The music, I have to say, was wonderful, especially the Florence and the Machine song at the end (for the record, I'm not usually a Florence and the Machine kind of girl). The costumes were lovely, and the scenery and CGI was very believable.
But there's another area in which this movie falls down. It is the scripting, and there's a very good reason why. There are a couple of scenes/lines in this movie which don't advance the story at all. Two notable examples are the scene in which one of the dwarves dies and the fact that Snow White says she 'sees' what's in the Queen's head while she's 'dead' (which has absolutely nothing to do with how she kills her). I could have done with a few more scenes reinforcing the relationship between the Huntsman and Snow White. All due respect to Chris Hemsworth, the first I realized that they liked one another, he was kissing her. There was also an unrequited love plot line with William which went absolutely nowhere.
So, how does this relate to writing? It's simple. Don't put things in your novel which don't advance the plot line or the relationships (the best things are the ones that advance both). If there's a specific event that you want to include, make it relevant. Change the plot if you have to.You never know, it might make it more interesting. but whatever you do, don't make a good plot into a mediocre one by adding unnecessary scenes. They'll just clutter up the reader's head with useless information, unless they have something to do with the journey your characters take (more on emotional journeys in a later post).
That's it, dear reader. Ciao!
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