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Fantasia
Year: 1940
Directors: Joe Grant, Dick Huemer
I love classical music. It's been a part of me much longer than movies have, and it remains an art form that I treasure and find I can always come back to. So of course I love Fantasia, too. The whole basis for Fantasia is the idea that music and visuals can be combined to create a new art - the film. Disney's stunningly original idea doesn't disappoint, either. The execution is flawless, and this remains one of the greatest films ever made.
In second grade, I first heard Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, The Pathetique, and was blown away. I didn't know that such excitement and power could exist. From then on I was hooked. Tchaikovsky was my favorite composer until about seventh grade. That's when I started branching out even more, into Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. Now it has become a bit of an obsession. There's so much great music out there, and I wanted to know all of it! Whether it was Palestrina or Stravinsky, Stockhausen or Vivaldi, all these wonderful sounds just made me excited about life. And it's basically thanks to Fantasia that I even began bothering with movies in the first place. When I first heard about Fantasia, I simply couldn't wait to first see it. That was in maybe fifth grade. So we watched it in my music class and of course I loved it. I saw it once again in eighth grade and hadn't see in it since I watched it for this tournament. Well, it blew my hair back like it always has.
There's something magical and ethereal about this film that can't be captured in any other animated movie. It's not my favorite animated picture, but it's definitely up there and easily in my top ten. Anyone asking for a good classic movie will likely get the response "Fantasia" from me first. It's easily the best picture of 1940 (yes, better than Rebecca or The Great Dictator or even The Grapes of Wrath). It's fusion of music and visuals haven't been matched since. It's one of the most colorful films out there, and this was only 1940. Imagine how blown away audiences must have been then, if we're still in awe today.
Fantasia is essentially a bunch of short segments with visuals inspired by the music playing along. The introduction is the abstract colors and shapes of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Next is a beautiful woodland scene inspired by Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. The most famous segment is The Sorcerer's Apprentice, with none other than Mickey Mouse as the lead role. There are several other segments after that, all shining with color, originality, and entertainment. The only slightly boring part is the Beethoven Pastoral Symphony sequence, which I find can get a bit kitschy. That's like five minutes of a 2 hour long film, though.
My favorite segment is the final section, the juxtaposition of the menacing power of Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and Schubert's serene Ave Maria. The entire Night on Bald Mountain scene is terrifying, with perhaps Disney's evilest villain ever, Chernabog. This guy literally finds joy in burning up his own minions and torturing all his worshippers. Only the morning bells can make him go back in his shell. That is when the beautiful closing of Fantasia begins, the Ave Maria. This section makes me tear up. The beauty of the music paired with the absolutely gorgeous visuals are just too much. It ends with hope, with beauty, with joy at living. That is what I go to the movies to see.
All of Fantasia is a blast. Even the "boring" moments can still be entertaining, and there are few moments you can call boring anyways. This is easily my favorite Disney animated movie, and if you haven't seen it, I encourage you check it out. It's not for everyone, it's certainly one of the artsier kids movies out there. But give it a try. In this reviewer's opinion, it's nothing short of a masterpiece.
Fantasia
Year: 1940
Directors: Joe Grant, Dick Huemer
I love classical music. It's been a part of me much longer than movies have, and it remains an art form that I treasure and find I can always come back to. So of course I love Fantasia, too. The whole basis for Fantasia is the idea that music and visuals can be combined to create a new art - the film. Disney's stunningly original idea doesn't disappoint, either. The execution is flawless, and this remains one of the greatest films ever made.
In second grade, I first heard Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, The Pathetique, and was blown away. I didn't know that such excitement and power could exist. From then on I was hooked. Tchaikovsky was my favorite composer until about seventh grade. That's when I started branching out even more, into Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. Now it has become a bit of an obsession. There's so much great music out there, and I wanted to know all of it! Whether it was Palestrina or Stravinsky, Stockhausen or Vivaldi, all these wonderful sounds just made me excited about life. And it's basically thanks to Fantasia that I even began bothering with movies in the first place. When I first heard about Fantasia, I simply couldn't wait to first see it. That was in maybe fifth grade. So we watched it in my music class and of course I loved it. I saw it once again in eighth grade and hadn't see in it since I watched it for this tournament. Well, it blew my hair back like it always has.
There's something magical and ethereal about this film that can't be captured in any other animated movie. It's not my favorite animated picture, but it's definitely up there and easily in my top ten. Anyone asking for a good classic movie will likely get the response "Fantasia" from me first. It's easily the best picture of 1940 (yes, better than Rebecca or The Great Dictator or even The Grapes of Wrath). It's fusion of music and visuals haven't been matched since. It's one of the most colorful films out there, and this was only 1940. Imagine how blown away audiences must have been then, if we're still in awe today.
Fantasia is essentially a bunch of short segments with visuals inspired by the music playing along. The introduction is the abstract colors and shapes of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Next is a beautiful woodland scene inspired by Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. The most famous segment is The Sorcerer's Apprentice, with none other than Mickey Mouse as the lead role. There are several other segments after that, all shining with color, originality, and entertainment. The only slightly boring part is the Beethoven Pastoral Symphony sequence, which I find can get a bit kitschy. That's like five minutes of a 2 hour long film, though.
My favorite segment is the final section, the juxtaposition of the menacing power of Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and Schubert's serene Ave Maria. The entire Night on Bald Mountain scene is terrifying, with perhaps Disney's evilest villain ever, Chernabog. This guy literally finds joy in burning up his own minions and torturing all his worshippers. Only the morning bells can make him go back in his shell. That is when the beautiful closing of Fantasia begins, the Ave Maria. This section makes me tear up. The beauty of the music paired with the absolutely gorgeous visuals are just too much. It ends with hope, with beauty, with joy at living. That is what I go to the movies to see.
All of Fantasia is a blast. Even the "boring" moments can still be entertaining, and there are few moments you can call boring anyways. This is easily my favorite Disney animated movie, and if you haven't seen it, I encourage you check it out. It's not for everyone, it's certainly one of the artsier kids movies out there. But give it a try. In this reviewer's opinion, it's nothing short of a masterpiece.