Overlooked Movie Marathon 2: Fantasia (1940)

Throughout my childhood, I had seen various Disney animated features.  They were a staple for children my age, especially since I was born in the middle of the Disney animated renaissance.  It was difficult to grow up without having seen any of the Disney films.  One that slipped past me is the movie that I watched as part of the second annual Overlooked Movie Marathon.  That movie is Fantasia.

Fantasia is different from many of the other Disney animated features.  What sets it most apart is that not all portions of the movie happen to be animated.  There are interstitials throughout the movie featuring an orchestra that happens to be performing the musical pieces that can be heard.  Did I mention that Fantasia is an animated representation of classical music compositions?  No?  Well it is.  The orchestra that you see throughout the film is performing the pieces while animation has been created to visualize the compositions.  From vivid colours to vast landscapes, the movie is a visual and audial treat for the eyes and ears.

There are many different pieces of music and many different animated sequences throughout Fantasia.  Fantasia is essentially an anthology film, with the different chapters being different songs and animated stories.  It’s an interesting idea.  Every song tells a story, whether the story is a linear tale, or an abstract series of images that float into your sight.  There’s a tale to be found in every piece of music.  The Disney studio of the 30s was able to put this theory into practice and provide audiences with a movie that would illustrate the theory.  There are stories to accompany all of the music and the stories are well told and engaging.  That’s all that you could ask of a movie that brings this idea forward, and it’s exactly what they provided.

The music itself is a wonderful collection of recognizable songs of the classic instrumental style.  From Beethoven to Tchaikovsky, from J.S. Bach to Schubert, there is a wide variety of musicians to sink your teeth into.  Not only is this an aural delight for those who know the pieces, but it provides children with a way to gain interest in classical music.  Fantasia is an easy way to teach children about the great composers of that era, while also entertaining them with animated shorts.  It’s a wonder that this movie isn’t shown in music classes as part of the curriculum.  It would certainly give insight into the music, from both the sound perspective of the pieces, and the visceral feel that each piece of music can have.  I’m rambling on about the music of the movie.  It’s difficult for me to express how great this movie is without hammering in my love for what it means for classical music.

But what about the animation in Fantasia?  I am stunned by the fact that all of the animation works so well with the music being performed in the movie.  It must have taken a lot of hard work and time to make each animated short move to the sound of the music.  The movements of the characters and creatures, the changing landscapes, the setting of each short… All of these things were influenced by the music.  There’s a certain skill and attention to detail that needs to be at work for this to succeed.  This isn’t a montage that is getting music laid over it.  Instead, the animation is being inspired by the music.  The visual portions are being created as a companion to the music.  They work in ways that I never could have anticipated, and satisfy me in ways that I could never explain.

Fantasia is a definitive work in the Disney catalogue.  There is a sequel that was released in the 90s that I’m now interested in seeing.  If it’s even half as musically inspiring as the first one, then Fantasia 2000 will be a good film as well.  Fantasia certainly set the bar high.

That concludes my writeup for the third movie in the second annual Overlooked Movie Marathon, Fantasia.  I wish I could write more, but I know that I’m just reiterating the same points.  I don’t need to bore you with any more of that.  Up next in the marathon is a little movie called Singin’ in the Rain.  I’m interested to see the movie which has the title song that gets stuck in my head more than any other title song in movie history.  I’ll see you next time for that one.