Fantasia (1940) — CHRIS REVIEWS

Directed by Samuel Armstrong, et al.

In 1990, my grandmother took me to see Fantasia in the movie theater; it had just been re-released for the umpteenth time. I would have been 5 or so; my memory confuses whether I saw this or Rescuers Down Under in theaters first. Regardless, I was excited to see some cartoons. And then, no one in the cartoons talked.

I was confused and underwhelmed, to say the least.

Jump forward about 10 years, and promotion was just starting for Fantasia 2000, the continuation (usually mistakenly called a sequel) of the original film. Hearing the concept of the film be truly explained, and being old enough to understand it, it seemed very interesting. I went back and watched the original film, armed with this new knowledge, and was amazed by what I saw. Here was not, as I had believed for so long, a long boring cartoon, but instead eight masterpieces, each containing their own plots and styles of animation. I was blown away, and ever since, Fantasia has remained high on my list.

As this is a different type of Disney Animated Film, so too will this be a different type of review. I’ll be talking a bit about each segment in the film, including giving each a grade. At the end, I’ll talk about the film as a whole, and give my final grade. Here we go!

“Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” (Bach)

This piece was meant by Walt to help ease the audience into the film. After all, this was an animated film unlike any other, so he was attempting to make the film feel more like an animated concert than an animated film. As such, the film shows images as a concert-goer would: first being aware of the musicians, before the images the music conjures takes over the mind.

Personally, I think this is a stroke of genius. The use of the colored lights helps, at first glance, to just be impressionistic, but actually, starts to put images of animation inside the viewers mind. It’s subliminal, in a way, and makes the transition into the full abstract animation less jarring.

The abstract art is very interesting, as well. The abstract music could conjure up any image, but the images presented here seem spot-on, deftly moving from orchestra instruments to images completely bizarre (for the life of me, I’ve never been able to figure out what the deal is with the weird coffin-looking object that walks away from the screen...it’s very Addams Family-esque).

Segment Grade: B+

“Nutcracker Suite” (Tchaikovsky)

Where the “Toccata and Fugue” doesn’t tell any definite story, the ballet “The Nutcracker” certainly does. So, here we have our first example of the Disney animators completely jettisoning the story in favor of something wholly different: a journey of the seasons, from summer to winter. It’s still a ballet, of sorts, but here, the performers are fairies, fish, and plants.

Personally, there are sections here that I really love, and some I could more do without. Standouts for me include the ‘Chinese Dance’ (with that adorable mushroom, Hop Low), ‘Dance of the Reed Flutes’ (with blossoms that invert to become long ball gowns), and ‘Russian Dance’ (featuring thistles and orchids shaped like traditional Russian dancers).

Probably my least favorite is ‘Arabian Dance’...the artwork is beautiful, but in a long segment as it is, the pace seems to slow to more than is needed at that moment.

Segment Grade: B

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (Dukas)

Of the segments in Fantasia, this one might be my favorite. Here is Mickey Mouse at his most iconic. This segment is actually responsible for two things: one, the cost of producing this one short was exorbitant, even to Walt. Therefore, it only made sense to create a whole Concert Feature (as it was then called) to help spread out the costs. Secondly, this segment is responsible for the look of Mickey Mouse we know today. Prior to this film, Mickey had a slightly different facial design, but as he had to carry the entire segment, in pantomime, the animators realized that he needed to be redesigned in order to convey the story.

And what a story! Mischievous Mickey, here as an apprentice to the sorcerer Yensid (Disney, backwards), of course yields advanced magic in order to get out of his chores. It’s something all kids (and many adults too, I shouldn’t wonder) can relate to, and everyone has felt the sense of dread in the pit of the stomach when the destroyed brooms begin to come back to life and multiply. It’s this type of universality that really establishes this segment in the upper echelons of animation.

Segment Grade: A+

“Rite of Spring” (Stravinsky)

I love dinosaurs. A lot. So, this section should be right up my alley.

For some reason, I just don’t connect much with it. Perhaps it’s the pacing. Perhaps it’s the slightly outdated portrayal of the creatures. Whatever the reason, it’s forceful music set to equally forceful animation.

It’s that animation that helps elevate this segment slightly, however. This segment is, without a doubt, a special effects tour de force for the Disney animators, and it’s what I appreciate most about this film and it’s follow-up. Each segment features a different style of animation, and “Rite of Spring” is no exception. Watching planets spin in space, or volcanoes erupt on Earth, or the climatic battle between a T-Rex and a Stegosaurus, the animation itself, regardless of its pace or portrayal, is wonderful.

Segment Grade: B-

“The Pastoral Symphony” (Beethoven)

Just as “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” was my favorite segment of this film, “The Pastoral Symphony” is my least favorite. The music is uninteresting to me, and the topic of the animation (centaurs, cherubs, and Bacchus) isn’t appealing. The animation is, admittedly, gorgeous, but I always find myself struggling to stay engaged at this point in the film. When the Greek Gods become involved, I get slightly more interested, but overall, this segment is a tough sell.

One interesting historical note about this segment: it has featured numerous edits to get rid of negative racial stereotypes, namely, a centaur named Sunflower. Look her up for some really fascinating reading!

Segment Grade: C-

“Dance of the Hours” (Ponchielli)

I really love this segment. Another ballet, this time depicting the hours of the day, from sunrise to midnight (hence the title). Like “The Nutcracker Suite”, the performers here aren’t people, but Ostriches (dawn), Hippos (midday), Elephants (afternoon/sunset), and alligators (night). Intended to give contemporary audience a laugh by poking fun at, what was then, a fairly common piece of orchestral music, today the humor arises strictly from the members of the ballet troupe and the shenanigans they find themselves in.

The placement here within the film is another great detail. “The Pastoral Symphony” is a much slower tempo, and “Night on Bald Mountain”, which follows this segment, is VERY dark, so having this uptempo and downright silly segment is the perfect pallet cleanser between them.

Segment Grade: A

“Night on Bald Mountain” (Mussorgsky)/“Ave Maria” (Schubert)

The finale of the film mixes the profane and the sacred, creating a segment that is chilling in its horror, and uplifting in its hope. It’s a scene I can’t seem to recall watching in theaters, but I’m sure my 5-year old self was not having any of it. “Night on Bald Mountain” has one of the biggest Disney villains: Chernabog is, literally, big enough to be the top of a mountain. The animation of Chernabog is delightfully intense, and the imagery of the spirits he conjures up is some of the most creative and creepy animation I’ve come across. Shown to me out of context, I’d never guess it was Disney animation.

“Ave Maria” is much more subdued animation, just a series of candle-holding figures, seen from far away, making their way through a forest. It does present an excellent use of the multi-plane camera, and, as the story goes, it was tremendously difficult to get the final shot. The shot works though, and it is a great way to end this film.

Segment Grade: B

Fantasia is, to me, a bittersweet film. Walt Disney’s idea of having Fantasia be a continuing program, one that was ever evolving, fell through, due in large part to the general public not understanding, much like I didn’t at my young age, just what the film was trying to accomplish. That he didn’t live to see the realization of this particular dream is just a difficult pill for me to swallow.

There are many reasons why the public just didn’t “get it”. Maybe they just wanted a true plot. Maybe they didn’t understand the marriage of music and animation in a form longer than a “Silly Symphony”. Maybe, they just didn’t like it. Whatever the case, this is a film that, unfortunately, seems to be more cherished now than in his actual life time. I know, for myself personally, I think it’s an outstanding testament to the power of music, to the power of animation, and the amazing results from the marriage of both.

FINAL GRADE: B

Feb 25 Fantasia (1940)

Feb 25 Dumbo (1941)

Feb 25 Pinocchio (1940)