The music video for Rammstein's Song Somme is a modern tale
of the classical fairytale Snow White. The video is littered with
symbols used in many versions of the tale such as the apple, dwarves, and glass
coffin. While I can see the common symbols and a basic plot line of Snow
White, I think Rammstein's version deviates greatly from that of the
others. For instance, Disney's version of the fairytale depicts Snow White as a
very loving, almost motherly character. The dwarves are treated like children
in the scene when Snow White refuses to provide them with dinner until they
wash up. On the contrary, in the music video we see Snow White as a cruel
mother who not only abuses her children but drugs as well. The meaning of
the apple is even different in Rammstein’s version. In most of the classical
versions of the story the apple (depending on which version i.e. a comb) is
tool by which Snow White goes into a death coma only to be saved by the hero.
In the music video, however, the coma is triggered not by an apple, rather the by the ingestion
of narcotics. In addition, in the end the apple, not the prince, saves Snow White
from her eternal rest.
Personally,
I enjoyed the music video for Rammstein's Song Somme the best. This is
because I think it puts a modern twist on the tale and provides a very real
scenario for some underprivileged kids today. All across the world there are
parents that consume heavy drugs like Snow White did in the video. Often
parents who are drug addicts are not usually good parents. For example, within
the video we can see how Snow White lines up the dwarves one by one to spank
them. While discipline is not a terrible lesson for children, the character
looks as though she enjoys the beating. Also in the video, we see that the
dwarves find Snow White dead in the tub due to a drug overdose. It is a
terrible event for a child to have to witness this but it does happen in the
real world. I think I enjoyed this version the best because it was not your
typical tale by any means. I enjoyed seeing another side of one of my favorite
childhood fairytales even if it did not end happily ever after.
