FANTASIA/2000 (1999) / *** 1/2
Directed by James Algar, Gaetan Brizzi, Paul Brizzi, Hendel Butoy, Francis Glebas, Eric Goldberg, Don Hahn and Pixote Hunt. Screenplay by Hahn, Irene Mecchi and David Reynolds, with the segment "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" inspired by the story by Hans Christian Andersen. Running time: 74 minutes. Rated G by the MFCB. Reviewed on June 23rd, 2000.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
The original "Fantasia" was Walt Disney's great experiment. Having demonstrated that a feature-length animated film could be a commercial (and critical) success with "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs", Disney's next project was a movie introducing children to classical music by marrying it to animation in a series of vignettes. Sadly, the idea proved unpopular in 1940, and so Disney's even grander plans -- creating a new version every so often by replacing some of the older segments -- had to be shelved.
Until now. At Christmastime, Walt Disney Pictures released "Fantasia/2000" to IMAX theatres. Unfortunately, Newfoundland does not have an IMAX venue, but now the film has been released in 35mm for a four-week engagement. Despite the smaller stature, even this version of the movie is so visually splendid, and the music so compelling, that it is an experience no one should miss.
"Fantasia/2000" follows essentially the same format as its predecessor. The only major change is the use of a different contemporary star to introduce each piece. These cameos, directed by Don Hahn, are mostly filler, and I fear will date "Fantasia/2000" rather quickly. But some sequences -- particularly those featuring Steve Martin and James Earl Jones -- are amusing, and they are brief enough that they do not distract too much from the proceedings.
The introductory piece is Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5, Allegro con Brio", directed by Pixote Hunt, and the animation is an abstract work featuring butterfly-like triangles. There are some glorious moments here, particularly the sight of thousands of the triangles in flight, and the play of color throughout the sequence is dazzling.
Next up is what may be the best part of the movie, set to Respighi's "Pines Of Rome" and directed by Hendel Butoy. Butoy has opted to toy with our preconceptions and, instead of drawing inspiration from the composition's title, presents a visually enthralling depiction of a family of whales cavorting in the sea, a series of ice caverns, and finally above the clouds themselves. Scenes like one where the whales dive through a thundercloud are truly breathtaking, and I felt my heart soaring alongside the creatures.
Up third is another superb segment, directed by Eric Goldberg. The music is Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue", providing a more modern addition to the line-up. I'm glad the producers recognised the fact that "Fantasia/2000" is meant to be an evolving, experimental format, and did not feel confined to using only prototypically classical works. The style of animation here also stands out, inspired by the illustrations of Al Hirschfeld. Even the color scheme is different from conventional Disney fare, keying each character to a specific hue. The stories of four Depression-Era New Yorkers -- a budding musician, a young girl, a sheepish husband, and a guy looking for a job -- are interlaced, to humorous effect. Especially funny is the husband's impromptu jig with an organ grinder's monkey.
Butoy returns to helm the next portion of the film, setting Hans Christian Andersen's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" to Shostakovich's "Piano Concerto No. 2". It tells the story of a one-legged miniature soldier who falls in love with a toy ballerina and defends her from a lecherous Jack-in-the-Box. This is a beautiful rendition of the tale, warmly animated as though lifted out of an old storybook. Particularly effective is the portrayal of the Jack-in-the-Box, brimming with malice.
A short piece follows, accompanying Saint-Saens' "Carnival Of The Animals". James Earl Jones deadpans the introduction perfectly, promising the segment will answer that eternal question, "What happens you give a yo-yo to a flock of flamingos? Who wrote this?" Hilarious hijinks ensue, animated in a suitably simple style.
Next is the lone resurrectee from the original "Fantasia", "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", directed by James Algar. This was always my favourite portion of the 1940 version ("Night On Bald Mountain" running a close second), and it was wonderful to see it on the big screen. The grainy sixty-year-old animation does suffer somewhat in comparison with the rest of "Fantasia/2000", and the fact that it is in the original (non-widescreen) aspect ratio gives it an archaic look. But the sheer jollity and imagination of the story still win me over, and Dukas' "L'apprenti sorcier" is a gorgeous composition.
We move from one Disney character to another as Donald and Daisy Duck take center stage in a story set aboard Noah's Ark during the Great Flood. As with "Pines Of Rome", this is an unusual accompaniment for the music, Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance". But it works, because director Francis Glebas concocts a story both amusing and heartfelt. Unfortunately, the opportunity for some really fantastic animation inspired by the flood and the many animals is passed up, leaving us with a standard Disney short.
The final sequence, directed by Gaetan and Paul Brizzi, similarly disappoints by not taking full advantage of the medium. Set to Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite", it depicts the story of a nature sprite who awakens a fearsome volcano spirit while bringing spring to the land. Although a nice fable, it plays out too straightforwardly, and altogether fails to convey the natural beauty and primal majesty that the Brizzis seem to be aiming for.
Otherwise, my only real complaint about "Fantasia/2000" is that it is weighted too heavily toward narrative-style segments, eschewing the more conceptual pieces which animation often portrays so well. The commercial motivations behind this decision are obvious, but "Fantasia" should be all about challenging the viewer -- not just through its presentation of classical music and unusual animation styles, but also by introducing new ideas. Further, I question the choice to run the two pieces starring popular Disney characters back-to-back, as it somewhat unbalances the movie.
These minor gripes aside, though, "Fantasia/2000" is a worthy successor to the original, and a fantastic, visually- and aurally-spellbinding movie for all ages. Parents who don't take advantage of this all-too-brief opportunity and take their kids to see it in the theatre are cheating their children. And themselves, too.
Copyright © 2000 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies/Fantasia2000.html
_______________________________________________________________________ / Shannon Patrick Sullivan | "We are all in the gutter, but some of us \ | shannon@mun.ca | are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde | \___________________________|__________________________________________/ | Popcorn Gallery Movie Reviews www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | | Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) /drwho.html |
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