I’ve always really liked this movie, but have never approached it from the animation perspective. The visuals, while still outdated by the standards of modern animation, are nonetheless very striking. The scenes and abstract visuals presented totally augment the experience of the film’s score, and this sort of idea which had never been done (at least at this scale) up to this point was executed to near perfection. Having only seen this film when I much younger, I am now able to better appreciate both the visuals and the score. So while Stravinsky might still not be my cup of tea on its own, hearing it while also seeing Disney’s interpretation of what the piece means gives a totally new experience. This film in particular is a wonderful example of how animation can speak to people in ways that live action film cannot.
Fantasia is a fantastic piece of art. Much of the early animations in the film are reminiscent of Émile Cohl’s work during the Incoherent movement, such as his work, Fantasmagorie. However, the later animations were plot-driven, demonstrating the progression and evolution of animation. One scene that particularly struck me as novel for the time was the animation involving Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer’s apprentice. This had the most relatable plot line and showed how animation could beyond normal life, while still depicting issues relevant to society. While I, and many others, enjoyed the film, I do know that there were some detractors. Referring specifically to the musical arrangements, Stravinsky said, “the order of the pieces had been shuffled, and the most difficult of them eliminated.” Others complained that the visual media took away from the integrity of the music.
We have briefly considered and discussed the role of sound in cinema, namely diegetic sound and the complications that come when that term is applied in animation. Fantasia is a rich film to discuss sound in cinema further. I would consider the soundtrack as the main character in the film. It is the primary motivator, what inspires the rest of the images in the film to follow, with the exception of the short containing Mickey Mouse, something worth noting. The character of the soundtrack comes to full awareness as the conductor introduces it after the intermission, stating: “I suddenly realized that here was not only an indispensable member of the organization, but a screen personality whose possibilities nobody around the place had even noticed.” The film further emphasizes the soundtrack through explaining the plots of each section, de-emphasizing the image and also emphasizing the orchestra through the sequences when it shows only them playing in the shadows. The symphony is continually revisited after each section, as if an anchoring point for the film.
Could the setting of the main character as the soundtrack only have been achieved through animation? I think the non-reality and abstract features of the image are crucial to setting the sound as the central character in the film. The only short with a definitive “main” character was the Mickey Mouse sequence, and this was the sole portion of the movie in which the sound was created for the image. I think the possibility of animation to represent abstract forms makes this movie possible and breathes life into the soundtrack in making it the main character.
Fantasia is a classic animated film that we have all seen at some point in our lives. Rewatching it as a cinema student, I picked up on certain aspects of the film that did not previously stand out to me. What I found particularly fascinating this time around was the film’s use of shadows, specifically in the beginning of the film. The opening scene is the narrator talking to the camera, introducing the viewer to what they are watching and about to see. The lights then change and the orchestra begins to play music. As the conductor moves, at certain angles the viewer is presented with his perfect silhouette. At other angles, though, you can see his body clearly. There is then this battle between the real life appearance of the conductor and this animated appearance of his silhouette. From here, the film begins to play with the shadows of the orchestra. This is another animated concept. The song then concludes, or rather, immediately makes a smooth transition into a new sound. With this, the viewer is transported into an actual animated world. I found this whole sequence of events extremely interesting and beautiful. This use of shadows and the back and forth with the silhouette sort of eases the viewer into the animation. Parts of it also reminded me of the scene in the The Wizard of Oz when the color is introduced. In both instances, the viewer is brought into a new world to explore. It is always interesting to watch a movie multiple times – it becomes a different experience each time. Especially in this instance, watching it more analytically as opposed to originally seeing the movie as a young child, I was able to pick up on different details like the one discussed here.
Interesting enough, I believe Fantasia differs from other animations of the golden age. The characters of the film were devoid of individuality. Each animated storyline or segment of Fantasia was a representation or interpretation by Disney of the music played in the background. Life was brought to the character through the music; each hop, twirl or movement was in tone with the spirit of the music. This is exemplified in the segment “Nutcracker Suite”. The animation was merely a visual representation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s famous piece. The once inanimate fished, flowers, and mushrooms were given life through the music and danced to the tone of the music and like marionette strung by wires or strings.
First of all, this is one of my favorite Disney movies. Back at home I had a dresser with a cabinet, and in the cabinet I would sort the Disney movies according to how I thought the quality, status, and my personal opinion of the films would best fit. Fantasia was always on the top shelf and one of the first three movies.
My mother bought this for us when we were very young; no doubt in part for herself, but also for us. Since I have just begun to understand the majority of the dialogue in this movie, I have gained new insights that thrill me even more about the entire production. The first quote “Music that inspires the imagination and all of the things that go with that,” made me realize that this movie was truly catered towards the expression of what was happening inside of the audience’s head.
When I was growing up, I knew that someone drew the scenes in the movies that involved recognizable objects, such as the flora, fauna and fairy folk in the nutcracker suite. The abstract images at the beginning though, they had a life of their own. Every time that I watched the film, after seeing the different sections of the orchestra illuminated by different colors, I would know that it was time to truly begin when the director was “swallowed up” by the red light.
I really appreciate now, the way that the different timbres of the instruments were illustrated by the different images, dots, lights and lines. Then, as Toccata and Fugue came to a close and the images just began to be more concrete, in my very young mind, I distinctly remember thinking that the tall golden hills were towers of heaven. I had forgotten that.
I have a personal connection to the Nutcracker suite because I performed in it for many years right around the holiday season. This led to me being biased whenever I saw the images that Fantasia presented and heard the interpretations that the Philadelphia Orchestra performed. I mean, of course the Sugar plum suite was done by fairies, that just made sense. However, in the Arabian dance, I remember being very confused about fish being the illustration used, because the ballet dances’ movements on stage were more like snakes than anything.
On a side note, there are concepts in this movie that are reflected in later works by the company. The idea that fairies change the seasons was incorporated in the series of Tinkerbelle films made starting in 2008. Along with this, in Disney’s film Dinosaur, made in 2000, there are the ideas of a herd of the reptiles making a huge exodus in the quest for water and antagonistic Tyrannosaurus Rexes.
Then we come to the Pastoral Symphony, which is my favorite orchestral composition and the most memorable part of the film for me. In part one, The Morning Breaks, I noticed some artistic inconsistency with the animation of the young pegusi, but the illustration definitely reflected the music. Then the Centaur Courtship came with the second movement. I know about the racial undertones of this scene that were edited out, but I also remember distinctly that this in conjunction with The Little Mermaid was what first made me start to wish that I had long flowing hair. Surprisingly enough, the more human like characters in Disney with those same features (Pocahontas, Mulan, etc.) did not affect me in the same way. I think this is primarily because the movies by Disney that I grew up with were primarily based in anthropomorphism. In part three, Bacchanal and the Storm, I realized for the first time that there actually was a huge emphasis on slim-waisted girls with long flowing hair in this art. There is also a feature of centaurettes that are African with zebra bodies instead of horse. I did not remember them looking like that when I was younger, but along with that it is interesting to see that they are the only ones in a role of servitude besides the satyrs and donkey/unicorn. There is also some funny character exploration with Zeus in this piece, painting him more according to the myths with his dart playing than Disney’s Zeus in Hercules made in 1997. The Zeus in the latter is much more maternal and sensible. Vulcan is also animated in a way that does not align with myth; they make his as aesthetically pleasing as the other characters, when in recordings he was supposed to be very ugly. The Aftermath is particularly beautiful to me. The entire time that I listen to it I just feel bitter sweet. This is especially true at the end when Apollo rides his chariot to set the sun and Diana shoots the stars into the sky. It makes me sad that the piece is ending, but glad that I saw it again.
When I was little, the Demon Piece was normally where I would either end the film or rewind it to watch the other parts. Night on Bald Mountain is fantastic, but just like with the upper bodies of the centaurettes and the lower bodies of the fairies, Disney a bit less conservative in terms of their drawing style of the ghosts and demons when compared to their current characters. I was always terrified by the imagery, and have only made it to the end once before by skipping over that part. Tonight, the Ave Maria was a much more soothing, relieving song than it had been before. Hearing its sounds helped to calm me down after all of the brimstone and fire, but I did not think that the images drawn to go with the Ave Maria were enough of a contrast. There was still a lot of darkness, but I guess the point was to make you realize that a struggle does not just end. There is normally a process and it takes time.
On a final note, I wonder if this could be considered religious propaganda by Disney. Ave Maria is one of the most renowned songs, and it is a direct contextual contrast to Chernobog worshiping on Walpurgisnacht. However, there are many other songs that invoke the feeling of dawn in people. On that note, why did Disney chose to pair those two together in the first place? This might have indeed been veiled religious propaganda.
This response if very long, but only because I have so many thoughts and personal experiences to relate to this film, a masterpiece in my opinion. It would probably run for two more pages to be honest. To close, it is still one of my favorite movies of all time, and throughout the majority of it I could not keep a smile off of my face.
Talk about bringing me back to a place of my childhood, this screening was a huge nostalgia trip. The soundtrack of a film is one of the primary features that I internalize when viewing a film; soundtrack can make or break a movie in my eyes. So Fantasia holds a special place in my heart both as a child and as a young adult. I’d like to break down each piece:
• Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
What was likely the least exciting as a child was the piece that elicited the strongest emotional response in me this time. It was frightening and powerful. The separation of the orchestral sections into different visual styles and colors worked to highlight the music rather than distract from it.
• Nutcracker Suite
When I was in elementary school I twice performed in a professional ballet company’s performance of the Nutcracker. Oddly enough as familiar with the music as that performance made me, I never fully connected it to the Fantasia sequence. Though in retrospect, the familiarity of the suite is now not so confusing. This sequence seems to hold a great variety both visually and musically. The contrast of the mushrooms style to the fish is pretty significant.
• The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
For this section I would simply like to reiterate some of the notes I took during the screening. I noted that Mickey’s ears seem to break physics with how they sit on his head and how they cast shadows on the wall. I wondered at a time of great synchronization between music and visuals, how many times the animators listened to the pieces. The importance of syncing the sound to film would be especially relevant throughout this film. The space that the story took place in was oddly morphing and without defined size or layout.
• Rite of Spring
The most striking element of this piece was the brutality of it. There were no pulling punches here, simply the raw darkness of nature. There was a strong theme of survival of the fittest. It was certainly not something that one would expect from a Disney animated feature. Though looking back at this sequence, the “look at prehistoric times” on the train ride in Disneyland makes more sense.
• The Pastoral Setting
The opener for the second act is very different from the closer of the first act. This sequence was certainly the most cute and cartoony of all the pieces. It starts off pretty adorable and even through the more intense Zeus attacks maintains playful and whimsical charming in nature. The gender roles of the time are pretty evident in the centaur scene but are uncomfortably similar to scenes of more recent Disney films.
• Dance of Hours
This was probably the most amusing sequence to me as a child but was not as powerful now compared to the other pieces. Most certainly the silliest piece and least dark, it does have a goofy charm. I was hoping to find some significance in the colors of the shoes of animals. Like, how the ostrich leader wears pink, while the others wear blue and the hippos wear pink but their leader wears yellow. There was no evident allegoric significance though.
• Night on Bald Mountain and Ave Maria
The play between light and dark, white and black, positive and negative made a pseudo monochrome realm of fluid creatures and demons. This sequence was powerful and spine chilling. Filled with morphing images, horrible shape shifting monsters, seizing twitching demon dances, and ethereal spirits it brought a level of darkness that was different from the Rite of Spring. The darkness of this piece was more otherworldly and beyond reality as opposed to portraying the darkness of the natural world. Ave Maria picks up with a peaceful movement through the woods. The animation of this sequence creates a lot of depth in the landscape. It ends serenely and with a sense of ease and finality.
76 years now stand between the release of Fantasia in 1940 and the present day. In many cases such a length of time tarnishes the message or presentation of a film, particularly with animation when even the choice of style serves to date a film. Fantasia, however, shows that even when the age of an animated film is apparent, animation can still convey emotion and a compelling plot, even without any spoken lines. During the screening of the film, despite knowing when the movie released, I found it hard to believe that I could actually enjoy watching something from 76 years ago in a purely viewer way, outside of just academic appreciation for the relative magnificence the film once held.
Perhaps Fantasia has aged so well because the initial concept was so well executed by Disney and his associates. The images come together beautifully and fit the music perfectly. Rarely can a film make leaves floating through the air a compelling story, but through Disney’s skills in personification, all the visuals of these stories compel the audience’s attention. These days Disney has cornered the market on making people care about object, from toys to cars to a mischievous lamp, and in Fantasia the man who started it all gives a masterclass on doing so.
There is so much to say about this film. The way inhumane creatures were animated and spring to life was amazing. But the most striking for me is the sorcerers apprentice. There seems to be parallels between the fact that we can’t control our creations. The animators once they bring a creature to life is permanently alive in our imaginations.
Animation: A History Flux 
I’ve always really liked this movie, but have never approached it from the animation perspective. The visuals, while still outdated by the standards of modern animation, are nonetheless very striking. The scenes and abstract visuals presented totally augment the experience of the film’s score, and this sort of idea which had never been done (at least at this scale) up to this point was executed to near perfection. Having only seen this film when I much younger, I am now able to better appreciate both the visuals and the score. So while Stravinsky might still not be my cup of tea on its own, hearing it while also seeing Disney’s interpretation of what the piece means gives a totally new experience. This film in particular is a wonderful example of how animation can speak to people in ways that live action film cannot.
LikeLike
Fantasia is a fantastic piece of art. Much of the early animations in the film are reminiscent of Émile Cohl’s work during the Incoherent movement, such as his work, Fantasmagorie. However, the later animations were plot-driven, demonstrating the progression and evolution of animation. One scene that particularly struck me as novel for the time was the animation involving Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer’s apprentice. This had the most relatable plot line and showed how animation could beyond normal life, while still depicting issues relevant to society. While I, and many others, enjoyed the film, I do know that there were some detractors. Referring specifically to the musical arrangements, Stravinsky said, “the order of the pieces had been shuffled, and the most difficult of them eliminated.” Others complained that the visual media took away from the integrity of the music.
LikeLike
We have briefly considered and discussed the role of sound in cinema, namely diegetic sound and the complications that come when that term is applied in animation. Fantasia is a rich film to discuss sound in cinema further. I would consider the soundtrack as the main character in the film. It is the primary motivator, what inspires the rest of the images in the film to follow, with the exception of the short containing Mickey Mouse, something worth noting. The character of the soundtrack comes to full awareness as the conductor introduces it after the intermission, stating: “I suddenly realized that here was not only an indispensable member of the organization, but a screen personality whose possibilities nobody around the place had even noticed.” The film further emphasizes the soundtrack through explaining the plots of each section, de-emphasizing the image and also emphasizing the orchestra through the sequences when it shows only them playing in the shadows. The symphony is continually revisited after each section, as if an anchoring point for the film.
Could the setting of the main character as the soundtrack only have been achieved through animation? I think the non-reality and abstract features of the image are crucial to setting the sound as the central character in the film. The only short with a definitive “main” character was the Mickey Mouse sequence, and this was the sole portion of the movie in which the sound was created for the image. I think the possibility of animation to represent abstract forms makes this movie possible and breathes life into the soundtrack in making it the main character.
LikeLike
Fantasia is a classic animated film that we have all seen at some point in our lives. Rewatching it as a cinema student, I picked up on certain aspects of the film that did not previously stand out to me. What I found particularly fascinating this time around was the film’s use of shadows, specifically in the beginning of the film. The opening scene is the narrator talking to the camera, introducing the viewer to what they are watching and about to see. The lights then change and the orchestra begins to play music. As the conductor moves, at certain angles the viewer is presented with his perfect silhouette. At other angles, though, you can see his body clearly. There is then this battle between the real life appearance of the conductor and this animated appearance of his silhouette. From here, the film begins to play with the shadows of the orchestra. This is another animated concept. The song then concludes, or rather, immediately makes a smooth transition into a new sound. With this, the viewer is transported into an actual animated world. I found this whole sequence of events extremely interesting and beautiful. This use of shadows and the back and forth with the silhouette sort of eases the viewer into the animation. Parts of it also reminded me of the scene in the The Wizard of Oz when the color is introduced. In both instances, the viewer is brought into a new world to explore. It is always interesting to watch a movie multiple times – it becomes a different experience each time. Especially in this instance, watching it more analytically as opposed to originally seeing the movie as a young child, I was able to pick up on different details like the one discussed here.
LikeLike
Interesting enough, I believe Fantasia differs from other animations of the golden age. The characters of the film were devoid of individuality. Each animated storyline or segment of Fantasia was a representation or interpretation by Disney of the music played in the background. Life was brought to the character through the music; each hop, twirl or movement was in tone with the spirit of the music. This is exemplified in the segment “Nutcracker Suite”. The animation was merely a visual representation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s famous piece. The once inanimate fished, flowers, and mushrooms were given life through the music and danced to the tone of the music and like marionette strung by wires or strings.
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Fantasia was an amazing film that, in my opinion, started the Golden Age of Animation. While early
animation such as Gerty or the Incoherent movement included aspects of cartoons or imagination,
Fantasia was explicit in what it was delivering. The depth and aesthetics of Fantasia helped to convey an
amazing journey, and the fact that it was animated was the only way that it could have been done.
What stood out to me, and what I considered the best part of the film, was the scene where we “met”
the Soundtrack. While it is one thing to give life to animals, leaves, or myths, giving anamorphic qualities
to something entirely artificial was a key element of this timeless film. Beyond that, I enjoyed how well
the music paired to the film, and the overall quality and complexity Fantasia offered. The backstory
behind the film, and how Disney wanted to “update” a new release every year, only adds to its charm.
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First of all, this is one of my favorite Disney movies. Back at home I had a dresser with a cabinet, and in the cabinet I would sort the Disney movies according to how I thought the quality, status, and my personal opinion of the films would best fit. Fantasia was always on the top shelf and one of the first three movies.
My mother bought this for us when we were very young; no doubt in part for herself, but also for us. Since I have just begun to understand the majority of the dialogue in this movie, I have gained new insights that thrill me even more about the entire production. The first quote “Music that inspires the imagination and all of the things that go with that,” made me realize that this movie was truly catered towards the expression of what was happening inside of the audience’s head.
When I was growing up, I knew that someone drew the scenes in the movies that involved recognizable objects, such as the flora, fauna and fairy folk in the nutcracker suite. The abstract images at the beginning though, they had a life of their own. Every time that I watched the film, after seeing the different sections of the orchestra illuminated by different colors, I would know that it was time to truly begin when the director was “swallowed up” by the red light.
I really appreciate now, the way that the different timbres of the instruments were illustrated by the different images, dots, lights and lines. Then, as Toccata and Fugue came to a close and the images just began to be more concrete, in my very young mind, I distinctly remember thinking that the tall golden hills were towers of heaven. I had forgotten that.
I have a personal connection to the Nutcracker suite because I performed in it for many years right around the holiday season. This led to me being biased whenever I saw the images that Fantasia presented and heard the interpretations that the Philadelphia Orchestra performed. I mean, of course the Sugar plum suite was done by fairies, that just made sense. However, in the Arabian dance, I remember being very confused about fish being the illustration used, because the ballet dances’ movements on stage were more like snakes than anything.
On a side note, there are concepts in this movie that are reflected in later works by the company. The idea that fairies change the seasons was incorporated in the series of Tinkerbelle films made starting in 2008. Along with this, in Disney’s film Dinosaur, made in 2000, there are the ideas of a herd of the reptiles making a huge exodus in the quest for water and antagonistic Tyrannosaurus Rexes.
Then we come to the Pastoral Symphony, which is my favorite orchestral composition and the most memorable part of the film for me. In part one, The Morning Breaks, I noticed some artistic inconsistency with the animation of the young pegusi, but the illustration definitely reflected the music. Then the Centaur Courtship came with the second movement. I know about the racial undertones of this scene that were edited out, but I also remember distinctly that this in conjunction with The Little Mermaid was what first made me start to wish that I had long flowing hair. Surprisingly enough, the more human like characters in Disney with those same features (Pocahontas, Mulan, etc.) did not affect me in the same way. I think this is primarily because the movies by Disney that I grew up with were primarily based in anthropomorphism. In part three, Bacchanal and the Storm, I realized for the first time that there actually was a huge emphasis on slim-waisted girls with long flowing hair in this art. There is also a feature of centaurettes that are African with zebra bodies instead of horse. I did not remember them looking like that when I was younger, but along with that it is interesting to see that they are the only ones in a role of servitude besides the satyrs and donkey/unicorn. There is also some funny character exploration with Zeus in this piece, painting him more according to the myths with his dart playing than Disney’s Zeus in Hercules made in 1997. The Zeus in the latter is much more maternal and sensible. Vulcan is also animated in a way that does not align with myth; they make his as aesthetically pleasing as the other characters, when in recordings he was supposed to be very ugly. The Aftermath is particularly beautiful to me. The entire time that I listen to it I just feel bitter sweet. This is especially true at the end when Apollo rides his chariot to set the sun and Diana shoots the stars into the sky. It makes me sad that the piece is ending, but glad that I saw it again.
When I was little, the Demon Piece was normally where I would either end the film or rewind it to watch the other parts. Night on Bald Mountain is fantastic, but just like with the upper bodies of the centaurettes and the lower bodies of the fairies, Disney a bit less conservative in terms of their drawing style of the ghosts and demons when compared to their current characters. I was always terrified by the imagery, and have only made it to the end once before by skipping over that part. Tonight, the Ave Maria was a much more soothing, relieving song than it had been before. Hearing its sounds helped to calm me down after all of the brimstone and fire, but I did not think that the images drawn to go with the Ave Maria were enough of a contrast. There was still a lot of darkness, but I guess the point was to make you realize that a struggle does not just end. There is normally a process and it takes time.
On a final note, I wonder if this could be considered religious propaganda by Disney. Ave Maria is one of the most renowned songs, and it is a direct contextual contrast to Chernobog worshiping on Walpurgisnacht. However, there are many other songs that invoke the feeling of dawn in people. On that note, why did Disney chose to pair those two together in the first place? This might have indeed been veiled religious propaganda.
This response if very long, but only because I have so many thoughts and personal experiences to relate to this film, a masterpiece in my opinion. It would probably run for two more pages to be honest. To close, it is still one of my favorite movies of all time, and throughout the majority of it I could not keep a smile off of my face.
LikeLike
Talk about bringing me back to a place of my childhood, this screening was a huge nostalgia trip. The soundtrack of a film is one of the primary features that I internalize when viewing a film; soundtrack can make or break a movie in my eyes. So Fantasia holds a special place in my heart both as a child and as a young adult. I’d like to break down each piece:
• Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
What was likely the least exciting as a child was the piece that elicited the strongest emotional response in me this time. It was frightening and powerful. The separation of the orchestral sections into different visual styles and colors worked to highlight the music rather than distract from it.
• Nutcracker Suite
When I was in elementary school I twice performed in a professional ballet company’s performance of the Nutcracker. Oddly enough as familiar with the music as that performance made me, I never fully connected it to the Fantasia sequence. Though in retrospect, the familiarity of the suite is now not so confusing. This sequence seems to hold a great variety both visually and musically. The contrast of the mushrooms style to the fish is pretty significant.
• The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
For this section I would simply like to reiterate some of the notes I took during the screening. I noted that Mickey’s ears seem to break physics with how they sit on his head and how they cast shadows on the wall. I wondered at a time of great synchronization between music and visuals, how many times the animators listened to the pieces. The importance of syncing the sound to film would be especially relevant throughout this film. The space that the story took place in was oddly morphing and without defined size or layout.
• Rite of Spring
The most striking element of this piece was the brutality of it. There were no pulling punches here, simply the raw darkness of nature. There was a strong theme of survival of the fittest. It was certainly not something that one would expect from a Disney animated feature. Though looking back at this sequence, the “look at prehistoric times” on the train ride in Disneyland makes more sense.
• The Pastoral Setting
The opener for the second act is very different from the closer of the first act. This sequence was certainly the most cute and cartoony of all the pieces. It starts off pretty adorable and even through the more intense Zeus attacks maintains playful and whimsical charming in nature. The gender roles of the time are pretty evident in the centaur scene but are uncomfortably similar to scenes of more recent Disney films.
• Dance of Hours
This was probably the most amusing sequence to me as a child but was not as powerful now compared to the other pieces. Most certainly the silliest piece and least dark, it does have a goofy charm. I was hoping to find some significance in the colors of the shoes of animals. Like, how the ostrich leader wears pink, while the others wear blue and the hippos wear pink but their leader wears yellow. There was no evident allegoric significance though.
• Night on Bald Mountain and Ave Maria
The play between light and dark, white and black, positive and negative made a pseudo monochrome realm of fluid creatures and demons. This sequence was powerful and spine chilling. Filled with morphing images, horrible shape shifting monsters, seizing twitching demon dances, and ethereal spirits it brought a level of darkness that was different from the Rite of Spring. The darkness of this piece was more otherworldly and beyond reality as opposed to portraying the darkness of the natural world. Ave Maria picks up with a peaceful movement through the woods. The animation of this sequence creates a lot of depth in the landscape. It ends serenely and with a sense of ease and finality.
LikeLike
76 years now stand between the release of Fantasia in 1940 and the present day. In many cases such a length of time tarnishes the message or presentation of a film, particularly with animation when even the choice of style serves to date a film. Fantasia, however, shows that even when the age of an animated film is apparent, animation can still convey emotion and a compelling plot, even without any spoken lines. During the screening of the film, despite knowing when the movie released, I found it hard to believe that I could actually enjoy watching something from 76 years ago in a purely viewer way, outside of just academic appreciation for the relative magnificence the film once held.
Perhaps Fantasia has aged so well because the initial concept was so well executed by Disney and his associates. The images come together beautifully and fit the music perfectly. Rarely can a film make leaves floating through the air a compelling story, but through Disney’s skills in personification, all the visuals of these stories compel the audience’s attention. These days Disney has cornered the market on making people care about object, from toys to cars to a mischievous lamp, and in Fantasia the man who started it all gives a masterclass on doing so.
LikeLike
There is so much to say about this film. The way inhumane creatures were animated and spring to life was amazing. But the most striking for me is the sorcerers apprentice. There seems to be parallels between the fact that we can’t control our creations. The animators once they bring a creature to life is permanently alive in our imaginations.
LikeLike