Movie Review: Fantasia 75th Anniversary Celebration

As some of you might know, back on November 13th, 1940, Walt Disney’s Fantasia officially premiered in New York City. Since then, it has become one of Walt Disney Animation’s cherished classics, spanning generations, spinning off a sequel in Fantasia 2000, and being recognized around the world. 2015 marks the 75th Anniversary of this music-meets-animation masterpiece, and Disney celebrated with a limited nationwide engagement.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to venture about an hour or so away from home to attend one of these special screenings, which included an exclusive introduction and performance by The Philadelphia Orchestra, led byYannick Nézet-Séguin. The Philadelphia Orchestra, led in 1940 by Leopold Stokowski, performed all of the songs in the original movie. Though none of the original members are still part of the orchestra 75 years later, the orchestrations that Stokowski created for the movie have crafted the “sound” of the Philadelphia Orchestra to this day.

For the few of you who have not seen Fantasia, the movie is made up of numerous sequences animated to the music on screen. Each sequence is introduced by radio announcer Deems Taylor, who appears on screen with members of the orchestra. There is also a brief interaction between Mickey and Stokowski (seen above), in which there is some dialog. Beyond that, it is all music. There is no dialogue during the sequences (except for some minor choral segments during the last number).

The sequences are:

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. It’s a very abstract piece which utilizes a lot of colors and shapes. No real story is told.

Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. A “changing of the seasons” story. Probably the most memorable character from this sequence is Hop Low, the littlest mushroom.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas. Arguably the most famous segment of Fantasia, this segment was the inspiration of the entire movie and features the fan-favorite Mickey Mouse in one of his most classic roles.

Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky. A look at the “science” of the evolution of the Earth, from the dawn of time to the reign and extinction of the dinosaurs.

Meet the Soundtrack. Not one of the actual segments, persay. Instead, the animators take a playful look at what a soundtrack might look like animated to the sound of different instruments. Vocal coaching by Deems Taylor. The “Soundtrack” is made to appear as a living thing.

The Pastoral Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven. Probably my favorite segment in Fantasia. A mythical look at a day in the life of Olympus. Featuring Bacchus, Zeus, unicorns, Pegasus and his family, satyrs, centaurs, and more… it is a very memorable segment.

 

Dance of the Hours by Amilcare Ponchielli. Hyacinth Hippo and Ben Ali Gator heading this ballet in a Venetian garden, featuring ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators. Very memorable.

 

Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky and Ave Maria by Franz Schubert. Another iconic character from this movie is Chernabog, featured on top of Bald Mountain controlling his minions. Overall, a perfect ending segment to the movie.

It was a wonderful experience seeing Fantasia up on the big screen. I *might* have seen it on the big screen prior, but I would have been roughly 9, and I do not remember the experience. I did have it on VHS…. then DVD…. and now Blu-ray, so I am very well versed in the movie. However, seeing it as it was originally intended was beautiful.

Bummed that you missed out? Fear not! Some theaters are still showing this Limited Engagement of the 75th Anniversary Celebration. To see if there are any showings near you, go to the official website here.