The German rock band, Rammstein's music video for their song "Sonne" is a retelling of the story of Snow White. The villain in this version, however, is not the Wicked Stepmother, but rather Snow White herself, which I found very interesting, especially considering the theories we've talked about that suggest that Snow White is the wicked stepmother or, at the least, will become her.
The band members "or the dwarves" are working in the gold mines for Snow White, who is addicted to riches they unearth. They, in turn, are sexually attracted to her and consequently let her continue her hold over them.
G o l d: Gold is a motif common in fairy tales, but it tends not to play such a large role in Snow White as it does in other stories. The dwarves are miners, but I'm not sure that they ever specify as to what it is they are miming for. Most consider it to be jewels based on purely the Disney film. In the music video, Snow White snuffs the gold like it is cocaine and appears to die of an overdoes. This seems to suggest an extreme obsession -- to the point of death.
A p p l e: The apple that plays a so crucial part in the story as the object that finally killed Snow White, is what brings Snow White back to life in the music video.
I enjoyed the music video by Rammstein -- or at least I did the second time I viewed it. At first, I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, but upon further reflection, it seems to tell the story of abusing the power one holds over another person and the inescapable position their victims are in, even if they want to be free. In a way, it is not unlike the struggle that Snow White has within herself, if the unending cycle of her becoming her stepmother is, in fact, true.
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