"What you're going to see are the designs and pictures and stories that music inspired in the minds and imaginations of a group of artists." -Deems Taylor, Fantasia Narrator
Initial thoughts before viewing: I hadn't seen Fantasia in years, and honestly it was a very fuzzy memory at best. I think watching the Fantasmic! show over and over at Disneyland all these years had confused me as to what Fantasia the movie was really about. Before starting the film, I checked the run time: 126 minutes, the longest of all of Disney's animated features. 😲 Aye...okay, here we go...
If you've never seen Fantasia or need a refresher, here is a link to the movie's Disney Wiki page where you can read the program summary (because as I'll get to below - there is no plot!)
Highlights: As someone who, erm, let's say gravitates towards the villains in any given Disney film, the Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria segment is 10/10. 🏆
I love everything about this segment. The animation is exquisite, the setting is beautifully dark, the music emotionally resonant, and the demon Chernabog feels so REAL in all his menacing glory. The animation of this character is unparalleled - his facial features and dramatic movements are elegant, malicious, and bad ass. The frenzy and passion of the demons celebrating on Bald Mountain hits a climax right as they are interrupted by the sound of church bells nearby. This leads into the Ave Maria piece, a beautiful and soothing juxtaposition to the demonic chaos we have just witnessed.
This may be the single best piece of animation that Disney has have produced. Aside from the Sorcerer's Apprentice version of Mickey Mouse, Chernabog is the stand out character from Fantasia, and is now considered one of the primary members of the Disney Villains franchise.
Disliked: There's nothing I really disliked about Fantasia, other than the fact that it can get a little slow (especially in the beginning). Some segments are definitely better than others, but the animation across the board is beautiful. Some may find it difficult to connect to Fantasia because there is no linear plot, rather a series of vignettes set to classical music. If you can get used the nontraditional format, it's overall an interesting watch.
Random thoughts I had While Watching:
Fantasia's dirty little secret: Sunflower the Centaur
While watching the Pastoral Symphony segment which is set in a mythical ancient Greek world, vaguely I remembered that there had been some racially insensitive imagery with the centaurs that was eventually edited out of future re-releases of the movie. A quick Google search led me to discover the story of a now deleted character named Sunflower, a female centaur servant who was part African human, part donkey. If you want to see how she was removed from the segment, this YouTube video has a side by side comparison of the original and edited versions. It's pretty shocking and disappointing to see this hurtful racial stereotype in what is otherwise a very light hearted, fantastical segment.
Closing Thoughts:
Fantasia is for the art lover: This movie is not for everyone - it's going to have the most appeal for those who can appreciate the music and visuals working together as an animated art piece. I'd also argue that this is not a film for children - it's way too abstract and serious for a kid to understand (although I'm sure they, like I did as a child, would enjoy the cartoonier segments).
Fantasia was an experiment: Fantasia was a passion project for Disney, and it shows. The film overall is a little uneven, but I completely appreciate the ambition and bravery it took to create something like this. When it was released in 1940, it was not very successful due to a number of factors, including the onset of WWII. Lots of people also accused Disney of turning its back on its 'everyman' cartoon roots by making Fantasia too highbrow and pretentious. Remember, this was only Disney's 3rd feature film at this point. Looking at it from the year 2020, it's easier to appreciate Fantasia because it's a part of the vast Disney animated film library. It's a nice break from the norm of a traditional animated feature with a linear plot, characters, and dialogue. It's an acquired taste, but certainly worth a re-watch if you haven't seen it since you were young.
My Rating: 6/10
My Rating Scale/System:
10 - Masterpiece / Award Worthy 🤩
9 - Almost perfect / Exceptional 🥰
8 - Great / Well-crafted 😁
7 - Good / Noteworthy 😊
6 - Above average / Memorable 🙂
5 - Solidly average 😐
4 - Mixed feelings / Mediocre 😕
3 - Uninteresting / Struggle bus 🥱
2 - Barely watchable 😡
1 - Failure / Why is this a thing? 💩
