Fantasia

So I’m in error. The Reluctant Dragon was released in 1941 and Fantasia was released in 1940. I should have watched Fantasia first. I’m also renaming the Edge of Enjoyment to the Edge of Satisfaction.

Anyway, Fantasia released November 13, 1940 is another hybrid film consisting of eight animated segments set to classical music. Leopold Stokowski directs the Philadelphia Orchestra and Deems Taylor introduced each segment as the Master of Ceremonies. The film was designed as a comeback for Mickey Mouse after he had declined in popularity and the Silly Symphonies shorts grew in theirs. While it was Disney’s first actual flop, it was rereleased in 1969, 1977, 1982, 1985, and 1990.

The film opens with the orchestra gathering and tuning their instruments in half-light, half-shadow against a blue background. Deems Taylor enters the stage and introduces the program.

Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is first, portraying live action shots of the orchestra illuminated in blue and gold, backed by superimposed shadows, fade into abstract patterns. Animated lines, shapes, and cloud formations reflect the sound and rhythms of the music.

Next is Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Selections of the ballet suite are set to the changing of the seasons with a variety of dances by fish, fairies, flowers, mushrooms and leaves.

Then, it’s Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, where Mickey Mouse is the young apprentice of sorcerer Yen Sid. He attempts to use some of his master’s magic to control the brooms into doing his chores, but is unable to control them.

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring follows, presenting a visual history of Earth’s beginning’s, from the first living creatures to the reign and extinction of the dinosaurs.

After the intermission, there is a humorous demonstration of how sound is rendered on film, making the soundtrack a character.

Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony plays while an ancient Greek world of centaurs, cupids, fauns and other mythological figures is portrayed. While gathering for a festival to honor Bacchus, Zeus interrupts and creates a storm, throwing lightning bolts at the attendees.

Afterwards, Amilcare Ponchielli’s Dance of the Hours plays as a comic ballet with Madame Upanova and her ostriches, Hyacinth Hippo and her servants, Elephanchine and her elephant troupe, and Ben Ali Gator and his troop of alligators. The finale has all of the characters dancing together until the palace collapses.

Finally, Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain and Schubert’s Ave Maria play as the devil Chernabog summons evil spirits and souls from their graves. They dance and fly through the air until the sound of an Angelus Bell rings, signaling night changing to dawn. A chorus sings Ave Maria as a line of robed monks walks with lighted torches through the forest and into the ruins of a cathedral.

I can see why this initially flopped. It’s basically an animated concert where the only thing that resembles a plot is Deems Taylor introducing the pieces. That being said, when coming into Fantasia knowing full well what it is, the film is quite good.

Having animation alongside famous classical pieces is great. It shows the animators’ thought processes and what they felt gave these pieces more life. The sequence with the soundtrack as a character is no only humorous, but also serves to show what sound looks like when it’s given a representation.

On the other hand, Fantasia is kind of long, just over two hours. It’s the normal amount of time for a concert. I can sit through concerts just fine and unless the story is slowly paced, length doesn’t bother me. However, it’s more than just a concert, it’s a concert juxtaposed with animation and it’s great. Unfortunately, every minute of those two hours trudges by. There’s a difference between watching a concert in a concert hall and watching it like this. It’s a great film, but it’s slow.

Final Call: a great film that juxtaposes animation with classical pieces, but you can feel every minute of it. It won’t make the Edge of Satisfaction, but it will be come #3.