Some films demand our respect – especially if they have been around since 1940. It’s not necessarily that they received recognition or awards. FANTASIA only received two honorary awards two years after it premiered. It is not the fact that the film was a box office hit. This one failed miserably and was considered a flop.
It was only twenty-five years later, when reintroduced to the public, that it finally reached financial success, grossing over seventy million dollars. This was a major profit from its humble, creative cost of two million. This movie did not boast an impressive cast; rather, it was totally about the music, the magic of the envisions created by The Philadelphia Orchestra played on a sound stage. The characters came from the animator’s inventive minds and were put into motion through eight unforgettable, famous compositions. It was whimsical, hypnotic, flirty, mesmerizing, soothing, scary, and surreal. It was like nothing audiences had ever seen before and perfect to watch stoned or straight.
I remember seeing it for the first time in the movie theater when I was a teenager. I didn’t know what to make of it, but I could not get many of the images out of my head, even decades later. It is said to be Steven Spielberg’s favorite animated film. It is Disney’s only movie ever to have a run time of over two hours. It is, in one word, FANTASIA.
FANTASIA was divided into three sections. One tells a definite story and is moved by the music. The second does not have a serious plot but is enhanced by where the music leads our imaginations. The last section is just sounds that draw unconnected images. None of the sections follow each other in any organized manner. Each is a separate entity.
The entire film is narrated by Corey Burton. The musicians who enter in the beginning and get tuned up are not even members of The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Walt Disney was the voice for Mickey’s debut feature-length movie. The Wizard’s name was Yen Sid and an anomaly for Disney. The lifting of the Wizard’s eyebrow is said to be the image of Walt’s own features when dissatisfied with someone’s work.
FANTASIA was a bold experiment for its time. It mixed animated images with classical music. It gave new meaning to brooms that carried water buckets, dancing hippos in tutus, centurion couples, the beginning of our planet, and powerful gods. It was and still is a classic that can spellbind the young and old. It holds a unique place in movie history that continues to blossom one decade after another.
FANTASIA is available on Disney+.
