Day 3: Fantasia

Fantasia (1940)

Starring: technically, Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra (unlike previous and subsequent Disney features, it doesn't feature voice actors)

Songs: "Toccato and Fugue in D Minor," "Nutcracker Suite," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," "Rite of Spring," "The Pastoral Symphony," "Dance of the Hours," "Night on Bald Mountain," "Ave Maria"

This movie is soooo different from the earlier two films.  Now, that goes without saying, but watching them back to back, nothing struck me more than how different this movie is compared to the others.  It isn't one story, it's several.  And the main focus here is the music.  In that way, it is similar to the later "package films" like Melody Time and The Three Caballeros (so below, I'm going to add another couple of categories I'll use again for the package films).  I've even labelled this post "package films" for the purposes of organizing this blog, though this movie technically is a part of Disney's "Golden Era" rather than its "Wartime" or "Package Film" era.

I hate to say this, but I feel like what went into this movie existing might actually be more interesting than the movie.  By the time the story was developed, Mickey Mouse had waned in popularity (compared to his bff Donald Duck) so he was redesigned and slated to star in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, which would be released as a short.  Walt Disney worried Mickey's squeaky voice (which he himself still provided, and would continue to do so for a few more years) was part of the reason he was less popular than he used to be, so the short would be all music and no voice work.  But he realized he'd not be able to make up the money spent to make the short if it was released that way, so the idea of making this concert feature, with animated segments set to symphonic music came about.  And if you look in my labels for this post, you'll see I've labelled it with two separate years -- 1940 and 1942.  That's because it wasn't widely released (albeit drastically cut) until 1942, but starting in November of 1940, it toured thirteen major US cities and played fancy theaters there.

This movie is more a piece of art than entertainment, and as such, it's difficult to compare it to the other films in Disney's canon.  It is beautiful to look at, and the music sounds gorgeous.  The animation is impressive in every segment, and the backgrounds could all be paintings hanging on a museum wall.  But it's loooong, and has little of the charm of Snow White or Pinocchio.  Now, I'm not saying it's a bad movie or not an enjoyable movie, because I don't think that's true.  It's just an all together different experience than most other Disney movies, and that's something to take into account.

This isn't a movie I liked that much as a child.  I didn't hate it, but it was difficult for me to get into.  I had the video tape (as I had most of the Disney movies on video), and I remember watching it maybe one time.  I fell asleep after Mickey's segment.  I saw it again a few years ago and appreciated it much more as an adult (because now I have more of an appreciation for classic music and arty animation).  I do like it, however.

What I Liked: Most of the music.  The stunning animation.  Mickey in The Sorcerer's Apprentice.  

What I Disliked: The length.  The whole Rite of Spring segment bored me near to tears and it was hard for me to get back into the movie afterwards.  (Luckily I did.)  The Bald Mountain/Ave Maria segment is only slightly better in that regard.

Favorite Segment: Since it would almost be cheating to say The Sorcerer's Apprentice, I'll say The Nutcracker Suite.  It was a very close second.  Part of it reminded me of a more sophisticated version of the 1932 Silly Symphony "Flowers and Trees."

Least Favorite Segment: Rite of Spring.  Honestly, the movie would have been better off without that.  Coming into that after the fun of seeing Mickey get into his antics was just the biggest letdown.

Should You Watch This Film: If you're a fan of classic Disney animation and/or classical music, yes.  Otherwise, you can probably get away with skipping it.  It's too long to hold the attention of most young children and most older children will probably find it dated and/or corny.  But everyone absolutely MUST see Mickey's segment.  I have it on DVD as a part of the Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color Vol. 2 box set (which I totally recommend, btw) or you can catch it on youtube right here. 

Day 2: Pinocchio

Pinocchio (1940)

Starring: Dickie Jones, Cliff Edwards, Christian Rub

Songs: "When You Wish Upon a Star," "Little Wooden Head," "Give a Little Whistle," "Hi Diddle Dee Dee," "I've Got No Strings"

Pinocchio is the story of a little wooden puppet who longs to be a real boy, but has a knack for getting into trouble -- and that's putting it generously.  This movie is charming and looks beautiful.  

Something I was really excited about when I decided to do this was being able to see technological advancements and whatnot between films.  And watching this film so soon after Snow White shows how far they had come in such a short time.  It's actually hard to believe the movies were made less than three years apart.  One scene that stood out to me is when Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket were looking for Geppetto underwater.  The special effects animation involved here -- the water whooshing in front of the camera, the bubbles, etc... I can't imagine them being able to do that, and especially not to do it so well, just a few years before.

As for the story, it's very cute and straightforward.  I admit I've never read the book the movie is based on (The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi) but from what I understand, Pinocchio is a very unsympathetic character in the book.  I know people complain when Disney changes the source material to suit their story, but in the case, I'm glad they did.  

Like Snow White, this is another movie that wasn't a favorite as a kid.  I actually hadn't seen it in quite a few years before I watched it today, but at this point in my life, it appealed to me in some unexpected ways:  the backgrounds made me long for Italy, and I feel like Geppetto is just a lot cooler than I remembered.  He makes clocks and toys (COOL), he talks to his cat and goldfish like they're people and probably loves them a little too much (COOL), and he just really wants a son (COOL).  Okay, none of those things is actually all that cool but they're cool to me. 

What I Liked: The animation.  The backgrounds.  Geppetto.

What I Disliked: The fact that this movie made me say, "He should have just went to school."

Should You Watch This Movie: Yes, if you're a Disney fan or movie fan.  It could also be a fun one to watch as a family.  Just... make sure your kid knows not to mimic Stromboli's stereotypical thick Italian accent.