you only have to look a bit further than your nearest blockbuster cinema complex or commercial-minded TV channel! 2012 clearly was the year of Snow White, with no less than 3 different well-financed and heavily promoted film versions of this fabulous and immortal fairy- tale originally created by the Grimm Brothers. But the contrast between this modest Spanish pearl and the atrociously bombastic Hollywood productions "Mirror, Mirror" (starring Julia Roberts) and "Snow White and the Huntsman" (starring Kristen Stewart) couldn't be more extreme! If you absolutely have to compare "Blancanieves" with another film, then please compare it to the equally masterful 2011 Academy Award winner "The Artist", as both films are wonderful homages (love letters, even) to the era of pure and indestructible silent cinema! The universally known plot of Snow White is transferred to the 1920s in Spain, more particularly Sevilla where all social layers of the population meet at the incredibly popular bullfighting arena. The Matadors are idolized by everyone, and the most famous and popular of them all – Antonio Villalta – dedicates his fight to his beautiful wife Carmen and to their daughter who's about to be born. But then tragedy occurs, as Villalta is bull- struck by surprise and paralyzed for life and poor Carmen dies whilst in labor and giving birth to young Carmencita. The now completely lackadaisical Villalate remarries a possessive and evil nurse, and when also her beloved grandmother passes away, Carmencita is forced to live in miserable conditions at her stepmother's house. During secret visits at her father's room, Carmencita learns to become a bullfighter as well. When she's left for dead in the woods by one of her stepmother's sleazy lovers, the amnesiac girl is taken in by a group of traveling midget- bullfighters and they gradually become successful all over the country. "Blancanieves" is a film that both my wife and I gazed at with our eyes and mouths wide open throughout most of its running time. Not only because the familiar plot elements are so brilliantly moved towards an entirely different setting but also because it's such a beautiful and professionally accomplished motion picture! This is the type of film that makes you wonder if we even need sound and dialog in cinema! The stylish cinematography and impressive decors speak for themselves and the stellar acting performances of the ensemble cast don't require sound, neither. Particularly the eyes and grimaces of lead actress Maribel Verdú (as the wicked stepmother) are unforgettable. This is the first film in many, many years that truly evoked emotions of empathy and tenderness within me (I really felt sorry for that poor girl) and the whole film just bathes in a dreamy and surreal atmosphere that is practically indescribable. I even worshiped the Flamenco music in this film, even though generally speaking I'm not a fan of this type of music! "Blancanieves" won several prices at numerous international film festivals, including one I personally attended in Brussels, and every single one is well-deserved.

This Spanish film was one of the latest to be added into the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I had no idea it was a silent film or based on the fairytale Snow White, so I was really looking forward to it. Basically young woman Carmen de Triana (Inma Cuesta) grew up never knowing her mother who died in childbirth, but her father Antonio Villalta (Daniel Giménez Cacho) was there for her, he was a great bullfighting matador until his career ending accident. Following this Carmen's now disabled father remarried his nurse, the evil Encarna (Maribel Verdú), although raised by her grandmother during her early years, while an adolescent, Carmen lives with Encarna following the grandmother's death, her stepmother treats her as a slave. Carmen eventually finds her disabled father again, he was hidden away and poorly treated by Encarna, who has been living off her husband's riches and having an affair with the household chauffeur, then it gets worse when the father dies under suspicious circumstances. Carmen is shocked when she discovers that Encarna orders the chauffeur to murder her, she escapes, and through accidental causes loses her memory, only to end up in the company of a band of bullfighting dwarfs. The dwarfs have perfected their performance for the crowd, but they are unaware that amnesia suffering Carmen has gained natural bullfighting skills from her father, so she becomes part of their act and travelling act, and in doing so become famous, they even give her the nickname "Blancanieves", or "Snow White", but they are unaware who she really is. Carmen slowly gather most of her memory back, but on the brink of fame she may be in serious jeopardy, as Encarna has discovered she was not killed, so eventually she takes it into her own hands to kill the girl, using an apple filled with poison, she hands Carmen this during the celebration of her latest successful show, but Encarna is discovered for her evil deed and taken away to be punished. Carmen does indeed eat this apple and falls into a seemingly endless sleep, wanting to still cash in on her fame the dwarfs, not believing she is truly dead, decide to display her body in an open coffin, and allow men to pay to kiss her, in the hope of waking her, and every so often her body is raised to trick spectators into running away, in the end it is dwarf leader Jesusín (Emilio Gavira) feeling really upset, having got close with her, who kisses her, and the film ends with Carmen twitching her finger, suggesting she may wake. Also starring Sofía Oria as Carmencita, Pere Ponce as Genaro, Inma Cuesta as Carmen de Triana, Ramón Barea as Don Martín, Sergio Dorado as Rafita and Ángela Molina as Doña Concha. The same year as the release of The Artist, this film set in 1920s Spain is a great homage, the new twist on the Snow White story is clever, Garcia is pretty and good as the title character, and Verdú is superb as the evil stepmother, this film has no dialogue whatsoever and relies on the great music of Alfonso de Vilallonga, and with the black and white colour and masterful imagery it works really well, a fantastic silent fantasy drama. Very good!

CAS International started a petition with the Spanish platform La Tortura No es Cultura (torture is no culture), the international organization Animal Defenders International and the Dutch Internet community PiepVandaag to request the commission responsible for the nominations not to vote in favor of Blancanieves and preferably not to allow a vote on the movie at all. The movie Blancanieves promotes animal abuse. Furthermore we know that 9 bulls have been used and killed during the production of Blancanieves. ALL JUST FOR MONEY??? VARY SHAMEFUL!!!

"A complete creation that reminds you how well defined is the battle between good and evil and how mankind oscillates between! A great collection of realistic and attractive characters! A story of a woman and a man against the forces of luck! A poem for love! A song for the importance of family! An objective criticism to people! A strong reality! A scream! A prayer! A priceless lesson we must teach in all classrooms! A masterpiece! An example of what is the power of cinema! An endless source of messages! A work of art that should surprise everyone! Thank you Pablo, we needed this film! .......Definitely the best film I have ever seen! Bravo!"