Snow White maybe a classic tale but sadly Snow White and the Huntsman
Quotes are not an instant classic. Here's a quick rundown of the plot;
after Snow White's mother dies, her father, King Magnus gets enchanted
by Ravenna's beauty after rescuing her from the Dark Army and quickly
marries her. On their wedding night Ravenna, who is in fact a powerful
sorceress and the Dark Army’s master, kills Magnus and keeps Snow White
prisoner. After Ravenna has conquered several of England's kingdoms and
plans to take over the entire Continent, she learns from her Magic
Mirror that she will be overthrown by Snow White. So Ravenna plans to
eliminate Snow White by consuming her heart in order to achieve
immortality. When Snow White manages to escape she ends up in the Dark
Forest, Ravenna then summons The Huntsman to kill her, but he takes
pity on her and instead helps her escape. After teaming up with several
dwarves and her childhood love Prince William, Snow White then begins a
war to kill Ravenna. The movie is richly dark and ambitious but somehow
comes off as unbalanced with lots of episodic moments that don't seem
to flow together and only a scattering of good moments to elevate it.
However, with all its failings, it is visually exquisite-looking and an
impressive debut from director, Rupert Sanders.
Directed
by: Rupert Sanders Written by:
Evan Daugherty (screenplay & story)
John Lee Hancock (screenplay)
Hossein Amini (screenplay)
Florence Welch (writer: "Breath of Life") Starring: Chris Hemsworth
- The Huntsman
Kristen Stewart - Snow White
Charlize Theron - Queen Ravenna
Ray Winstone - Gort
Ian McShane - Beith
Sam Claflin - Prince William
Toby Jones - Coll
Nick Frost - Nion
Lily Cole - Rose
Eddie Marsan - Duir
Bob Hoskins - Muir
Vincent Regan - Duke Hammond
Annabelle Wallis - Sara
Dave Legeno - Broch
Rachael Stirling - Anna
Jamie Blackley - Iain
Izzy Meikle-Small - Young Ravenna
Johnny Harris - Quert
Noah Huntley - King Magnus
Brian Gleeson - Gus
Mark Wingett - Tom The Rebel
Joey Ansah - Aldan
Christopher Obi - Mirror Man
Sam Spruell - Finn
Liberty Ross - Queen Eleanor
[first lines] The Huntsman:[voice over]
Once upon a time, in deep winter, a queen was admiring the
falling snow, when she saw a rose blooming in defiance of the cold.
Reaching for it, she pricked her finger and three drops of blood fell.
And because the red seemed so alive against the white, she
thought, if only I had a child as white as snow, lips as red as blood,
hair as black as a raven's wings and all of the strength of that rose.
Soon after, a daughter was born to the queen and was named, Snow White.
And she was adored throughout the kingdom, as much for her defiance as
for her beauty.
[as we see Queen Eleanor
looking ill, young Snow White enters her room carrying an injured bird] Young Snow White:
We found it in the woods, it's injured, mother. Queen Eleanor:
It must have broken its wing. Don't worry, it will heal in time. Young Snow
White:
I'll look after it. Queen Eleanor:
You possess rare beauty, my love. Here. [she touches Snow's
chest, indicating her heart] Queen Eleanor:
Never lose it. It will serve you well when you become queen.
The Huntsman:[voice over]
The next winter was the harshest in memory as Snow White's mother
passed away. The king was inconsolable. Taking advantage of his grief,
a dark and mysterious army appeared and lured him into battle.
The Huntsman:[voice over] The
Dark Army was defeated, but what would soon come to pass was
far darker.
[after the king's
army destroys the Dark Army, the king and his men find a
single prisoner chained inside a carriage] King Magnus:
Fear not, you will come to no harm from me or my men. What is your
name, my lady? Ravenna:
Ravenna, sire. The Huntsman:[voice over] So
enchanted by
her beauty was the king, that he forgot for the first time his broken
heart, and the very next day, she would become his wife.
[young Snow White
watches Ravenna getting dressed for her wedding ceremony] Young Snow
White: You're so beautiful. Ravenna: That's
kind, child. Especially when it is said that yours is the face of true
beauty in this kingdom. Come. [Snow White comes
towards Ravenna] Ravenna: This
all must be difficult for you, I too lost my mother when I was a young
girl. I can never take your mother's place, ever. But I feel that you
and I are bound. I feel it there, your heart. [Snow White smiles]
[on their wedding night,
Magnus and Ravenna in their bed] King Magnus: You'll
be the ruin of me. Ravenna:
Indeed, my lord. [Magnus starts kissing
her] Ravenna:
I
was ruined by a king like you once. I replaced his queen, an old woman.
And in time, I too would have been replaced. Men use women, they ruin
us and when they are finished with us they throw us to their dogs like
scraps. [suddenly Magnus starts
choking] King Magnus:
Forgive me. Ravenna: When
a woman stays young and beautiful, the world is hers. [she rolls Magnus over
and sits on top of him, holding a knife] Ravenna: First
I will take your life, my lord. And then I'll take your thrown. [she
stabs Magnus in the chest, killing him, she then opens the
gates
to the castle allowing her army to enter, led by her brother Finn] Ravenna:
Welcome, brother. Finn: My
queen.
The Huntsman:[voice over] She
had tricked her way into the kingdom with a phantom army. She now
welcomed a very real one. [as Ravenna's army
captures the castle, Snow White wakes up to find her father
dead,
she tries to flee with Duke Hammond tries and his son William,
but she is snatched from the back of his horse and only the Duke and
William escape and Snow White is imprisoned]
[once Ravenna's army has
taken over the castle, she installs her large, circular golden
mirror in her throne room, she paces in front of the mirror,
agitated] Ravenna:
Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who's the fairest of them all? [the mirror melts and
then reforms itself in front of Ravenna as a tall, gold, faceless
figure] Mirror Man: It
is you, my queen. Yet another kingdom falls to your glory. Is there no
end to your power and beauty?
The Huntsman:[voice over] So
poisonous was the reign of Ravenna that nature turned on itself and
people turned on each other. The land died, and with it, hope. In all
that time she kept Snow White imprisoned, high up in the north tower.
[as Snow White prays in
her prison cell, she sees the queens soldiers bring in a girl to the
prison cell opposite to hers] Snow White: Hello?
Hello? [the girl on the other
cell shows her face through the cell bars] Snow White: What
is your name? Greta: I'm
Greta. Snow White: What
happened to you? Greta: All
the girls in our village were taken. I was trying to reach Duke
Hammond's castle when I was caught. Snow White: Hammond?
Is he alive? Does he still fight in my father's name? Greta: You're
the king's daughter? The night the king died, we were told all in the
castle were slain. Snow White: And
William, is the Duke's son still alive? Greta: I
don't know, princess. What will they do to me?
[as Ravenna watches the
children outside her castle being thrown scraps of food] Ravenna: Do
you remember when we were children begging for scraps, like those
wretches? Finn: Yes,
sister. Ravenna: Am
I not kinder? Finn: Yes. [Ravenna walks over to a
bath filled with milk, she takes off her gown, steps into the milk
bath, immerses herself in the milk and then rises with her whole body
covered in the milk]
[two of the Duke's
supporters, a father and son, are brought before Ravenna after being
captured attacking one of her supply trains] Ravenna: Your
son? [the father nods] Ravenna: Handsome. [she goes towards the
son] Ravenna: Obviously
a debt owed to your mother. There was a time I would have lost my heart
to a face like yours. And you, no doubt, would have broken it. [suddenly the son grabs
the knife from the soldier holding him and stabs Ravenna in
the stomach, she pulls out the knife without a drop of blood] Ravenna: You
would kill your queen? [she pulls the son
towards her] Ravenna: Such
courage, such beauty. How strong is your heart? [Ravenna touches his
chest and sucks the life from his heart, killing him, the soldiers grab
the father] Ravenna: Leave
him! Let him return to the Duke and speak of the generosity of his
queen.
[Ravenna stands before
her mirror examining her wrinkles] Finn: Magic
comes at a lofty price. Ravenna: And
the expense grows. Finn: You
look... Ravenna: Old! Finn: Tired. Ravenna: My
power...fades. Finn: Shh.
I have something for what ails you. [Ravenna turns and sees
Greta from the tower dungeon, has been brought to her, Ravenna
sucks the youth out of Greta, transforming her to an old woman]
[Ravenna, looking young
and beautiful again, stand in front of the
Mirror Man] Ravenna:
Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who is fairest of them all? Mirror Man:
My queen, on this day, one has come of age, fairer even than you. She
is the reason your power wain. Ravenna:
Who is it? Mirror Man: Snow
White. Ravenna:
Snow White? She is my undoing? I should have killed her when she was a
child. Mirror Man: Be
warned, her innocence and purity is all that can destroy you. But
she is also your salvation, queen. Take her heart in your
hand and you shall never again need to consume youth. You shall never
again weaken or age. Ravenna:
Immortality. Immortality, forever. [she turns her face and
shouts] Ravenna:
Finn! [Finn steps out from the
shadows he was hiding in watching his sister] Ravenna: Brother,
bring me the king's daughter.
[Snow White sees a bird
sat on the cell window, she goes over to touch
it but it flies away, then she notices an iron nail wedged in the stone
outside the window, she pulls the nail out and keeps it hidden in her
hand when Finn enters her cell] Finn:
Did I wake you? [Snow shakes her head,
Finn sits next to her on her bed] Finn:
You always awake when I watch you. Snow White:
You've never come in before. Finn:
My sister won't allow it. She wants you all to herself. Snow White:
I'm afraid of her. Finn:
And not of me? Snow White:
No. [Finn leans towards her
and touches her face] Finn:
Fear not, princess, you will never again be locked in this cell. Snow White:
What does she want from me? Finn:
You're beating heart. [suddenly Snow White
strikes Finn in the face with a nail and runs out of her prison cell,
locks him in the cell and runs to Greta's cell but sees that
Greta has become an old woman, Greta tells Snow White
to run]
[after Finn and his
soldiers lose Snow White in the Dark Forest] Ravenna: How
is that an innocent young girl makes a fool of my brother? And only
with a nail. If she'd had a sword, she'd have taken my kingdom. Bring
me the king's daughter, and you let her slip, right through your tiny
little fingers! How? You swore that you would protect me! You swore! [Ravenna paces back and
forth, agitated] Ravenna: Now
there's no one I can trust. No one! There's no loyalty. No loyalty.
None! Not even from you! Where is she? Finn: She
was chased into the Dark Forest, where the men lost her. [suddenly Ravenna
strikes Finn in the face in anger] Ravenna: She's
no good to me in the Dark Forest! Lost! [she strikes Finn in the
head] Ravenna: I
need her heart! You failed me, Finn! Finn: [shouting] Have I
not given all to you? Ravenna: Have
I not given you all? Finn: Yes,
sister. [Finn starts crying] Ravenna: Shh.
Quite. I have no powers in the Dark Forest. You have to find me
someone, someone who knows it. Someone who can hunt her.
[after the Huntsman has
been brought to Ravenna] Ravenna:
My brother tells me you are a widower. A drunkard, and one of few who
has ventured into the Dark Forest. The Huntsman:
Aye. Ravenna:
One of my prisoners has escaped there. The Huntsman:
Well then he's dead. Ravenna:
She. The Huntsman:
Then she is certainly dead. Ravenna:
Find her, bring her to me. The Huntsman:
No, I've been to that forest, I'm not going back. Ravenna:
You will be rewarded handsomely. The Huntsman:
What good is gold to me if I'm lying dead with crows picking at my
eyes? The Huntsman:
Why
is she of such value? Ravenna:
That is none of your concern. The Huntsman:
I'll determine what concerns me, thank you. Ravenna: You
will do this for me, Huntsman! The Huntsman: And
if I refuse? [the queen's guards all
level their spears at him] The Huntsman: Do
me the favor, I beg of you. [to the guards] Ravenna: To
his knees. [one of the guards
forces Huntsman to his knees in front of Ravenna] Ravenna: So
you wish to be reunited with your beloved? The Huntsman: Do
not speak of my wife. Ravenna: You
miss her. What would you give to see her again? You know of my powers,
bring me the girl, and I will bring back your wife. The Huntsman: Nothing
can bring her back. Ravenna: I
can. A life, for a life.
[as the Huntsman takes
Finn and his men into the ark forest, he finds Snow White's
tracks and he captures her] Snow White: Will
you help me? Please. Please! The queen's going to kill me. The Huntsman: I'm
sure she is. Snow White: She's
going to rip out my heart. [as Finn and his men
find them] Finn: Quick
work. Well done, Huntsman. Hand her over. The Huntsman: What
do you intend to do with her? Finn: Why
do you care? The Huntsman: You
want her? Give me what I was promised. Finn: You
did your job well. Now keep your word. Snow White: He'll
kill us both. The Huntsman: Shut
up. Snow White: He
will. The Huntsman: I
said, shut up! Snow White: No!
No! [to Finn] The Huntsman: I'll
keep my word when the queen keeps hers! Where's my wife? Snow White: He's
going to betray you. Finn: My
sister has many powers. She can take life away, or sustain it. But she
can't bring your wife back from the dead, you fool! The Huntsman: I
want her back! [the Huntsman attacks
Finn and his men, Snow White runs off, the Huntsman throws Finn to the
ground which sets off a poisonous gas and the Huntsman runs off after
Snow White] Finn: I
will find you!
[after the Huntsman
catches up with Snow White again in the Dark Forest,
he grabs her and places his hand over her mouth] The Huntsman:
Shh. Shh. Be quite. Alright? [Snow White nods her
head, he takes his hand away from her mouth and as
soon as he does that she strikes him in the face and takes his sword] The Huntsman:
Hey! What the hell's going on? Who
are you? Why does the queen want you dead? Snow White:
She wants everyone dead, all of us! The Huntsman: What
makes you so damn valuable? Snow White: You
should know, you're the one hunting me! [the Huntsman winces in
pain and touches his shoulder which has been wounded] The Huntsman: Oh,
forget it! [he turns and starts
walking off] The Huntsman: I
should have never got involved in the queen's business. Snow White: Where
are you going? The Huntsman: Getting
away from you, you're trouble, is what you are. Snow White: I
need to get to the Duke's castle. There's an army there. The Huntsman: What,
the Duke's army? [he laughs] The Huntsman: Bunch
of farmers and milkmaids with pitchforks. I know sheep that have more
fight in them. Snow White: I'm
valuable. That's why you're here, isn't it? If you return without me,
you're dead. If you leave me, I'm dead. The Huntsman: Just
for arguments sake, how much reward? Hmm? Snow White: However
much is enough. The Huntsman: At
least thirty gold pieces, no way... Snow White: A
hundred.
Snow White: Help
me. The Huntsman: Who
are you? Snow White: Maybe
you should have asked the queen that. The Huntsman: I
don't trust you. Snow White: I've
given you my word. The Huntsman: I
still don't trust you. But you have a deal. [he spits in the palm of
his hand and holds his hand out for her to shake which she does] The Huntsman: Give
me that, before you lose a finger. [he takes his sword from
her hand and he turns and leads the way as they walk off]
[after attacking one of
Ravenna's supply trains, William
returns to his father's castle] Duke Hammond:
We have word of the princess. Ravenna has kept her all these years.
William: She
lives? Thomas: She
escaped the castle into the Dark Forest. William I'm
going after her. Duke Hammond: You
don't know if she survived. [William turns his horse
round and is about to ride off] Duke Hammond:
William! William: What? Duke Hammond:
You ventured beyond the castle walls again, disobeying my orders. We're
all that's left, don't you understand? I cannot afford to lose any more
of my men. William:
I'm going alone. Duke Hammond:
I will not lose my only son. You don't know the Dark Forest. William: Then
I'll find somebody who does. I will not abandon her again a second
time.
[after saving Snow White
from getting caught in the branch of trees which turn into black snakes] The Huntsman: The
forest gains strength from your weakness. [he walks off and takes
a swig of his drink] Snow White: Do
you drink to drown your sorrows or your conscience? The Huntsman: What
concern is it of yours why I drink? Snow White: I
suppose a man's sorrows are his own. The Huntsman: What
does a young girl like you know about sorrow? [Snow doesn't answer, he
comes towards her and suddenly rips the hem of her dress, she steps
back from him, frightened] The Huntsman: Don't
flatter yourself. Now stay close.
[William, who has
disguised himself as a bowman, intercepts Finn and his soldiers, who
have regrouped to search for Snow White] William: Do
you need a bowman? Finn: I
have a bowman. [turning to his bowman] Finn: Kill
him. [Finn's bowman takes a
shot at William which he misses, William then quickly shoots an arrow
at the bowman, killing him] William: I
said, do you need a bowman?
The Huntsman: Here,
I wanna show you something. [he hands Snow a knife] The Huntsman: Which
is your lead foot? [Snow shakes her head
and the Huntsman suddenly moves as if to attack her] The Huntsman: Right,
someone comes at you, you raise this arm up, you block and you use your
strength against him. [he shows her the move
with the knife] The Huntsman: You're
small, so wait until they're close and you drive it through their
heart, to the hilt. You understand? You do not hesitate, and you look
in their eyes, and do not pull it out until you see their soul. Snow White: I
couldn't do that. The Huntsman: Well,
you might not have a choice. [he turns and walks off]
[as they come towards a
bridge in the Dark Forest] Snow White: Is
this the edge of the Dark Forest? The Huntsman: Aye. [the Huntsman senses
something and draws his sword] Snow White: What
is it? The Huntsman: Shh. [as they walk across the
bridge they notice bones and swords and armory scattered around,
suddenly a large creature opens it eyes and awakens] The Huntsman: Troll! [the troll knocks the
Huntsman and Snow off the bridge and comes towards them as they try to
make a run for it] The Huntsman: Run! [the
Huntsman attacks the troll but the troll knocks him aside and
as the troll is about to kill the unconscious Huntsman Snow leaps in
front of it screaming, the troll roars back at her but she stares him
down and the troll backs off] The Huntsman: I
told you to run! Snow White: If
I had you'd be dead.
[after Snow and the
Huntsman get sanctuary in a village of women] The Huntsman:
You
got nothing to drink? Snow White: You
have traveled far, carried a great burden. The Huntsman: I've
had worse jobs. Anyway, she's not that heavy. [he looks over at Snow
White, who's playing with one of the little girls from the village] Snow White: You
don't know who she is. The Huntsman: What
do you mean? [he looks over at Snow
again]
[after finding out that
Snow is the princess] The Huntsman: Why
didn't you tell me? Cause I'd think it was too difficult a task? You'd
be right. Snow White: I
didn't trust you. I'm sorry.
[to Snow White
as she gets ready to sleep] Anna: Our
scars protect us. Without beauty we are worthless to the queen. It's a
sacrifice we made so we could raise our children in peace, while their
father's are at war. And you, your sacrifice will come. You must rest. [Anna sees the Huntsman
sneak out of the hut and leave]
[Anna follows the
Huntsman as he decides to leave Snow White] Anna: How
can you desert her when you know the truth? The Huntsman: Aye,
I know the truth. That's why she should be as far away from me as
possible. Anything I ever cared about was taken away from me. Not this
time, she's safer here with you. [he turns and walks off,
before he gets far the village is attacked by Finn and his men, William
protects Snow as she runs to the boats, but they are separated
by fire, the Huntsman hears the commotion and runs back to
help Snow White escape]