Once Upon A Disney #3: Fantasia

Hands up who's ready for some experimental musical brainfood? I knew it. Let's dive right into...

Fantasia (1940) 

The Walt Disney Animation Studio were clearly having a very busy year in 1940, releasing Pinocchio in February and Fantasia just 9 months later. Whilst it might seem that Fantasia was the less ambitious project of the two – with no animated dialogue or 90 minute story thread to worry about –  it made up for it by its risky and experimental form.

There wasn't enough budget to pay the electricity bills 

It's hard to imagine a film like Fantasia – essentially a 2 hour long animated classical concert for kids – getting green lit today. The 2000 version, which was more of a nostalgia piece, clocked in at 1 hour and 15 minutes, supposedly in response to kids' actual attention spans. However, it's commendable that Disney was trying to use their power over children's eyeballs to educate them about the rich history of music and encourage audiences to paint pictures with their imaginations.

The opening section is hardly an ease into this "new form of entertainment'", starting us off with extremely abstract imagery to accompany Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D minor'. Presumably, this is the point at which very young kids (or their grandparents) could nod off and leave the rest of the audience in peace.

Trippy AF

To be fair to the compere, he does warn us at the beginning that we are in for three different types of experiences throughout the programme:

"First there's the kind that tells a definite story. Then there's the kind, that while it has no specific plot, does paint a series of more or less definite pictures. Then there's third kind, music that exists simply for its own sake."

As the second and third pieces unfold, we start to enter more manageable ground. The dancing flower fairies accompanying 'The Nutcracker Suite' – which, according to the narration, was not a popular ballet at the time – give way to the most memorable section of the whole movie, 'The Sorceror's Apprentice,' in which Mickey behaves like a complete tool and floods his boss' workplace, rather than do his job. But he does look fly in that hat and robe.

Before there were robotic vacuum cleaners

From then on, the stories animated on screen are so coherent with the music they are paired with that you sometimes struggle to remember they weren't purpose-written scores, but already exist as world famous classical pieces. Highlights include:

• The epic imagining of the creation of life on earth, right up to the extinction of the dinosaurs, set hypnotically to Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring' 
• The adorable unicorns and pegusus and beautiful scenery in the Grecian pastoral section 
• Hippos, emus and elephants posing to 'Dance of the Hours' in tutus. Classic.

She probably stills lands her soubresauts lighter than me #balletjoke

When Fantasia builds up to its demonic crescendo with the truly dark 'Bald Mountain' and echoes into the distance with its ethereal 'Ave Maria,' you can just imagine the effect it would have had on 1940s audiences, pulled away from the harsh realities of war for two hours of cerebral, dreamlike entertainment.

While I would favour a more traditional 90 minute Disney fairytale, there's something mystical about Fantasia, that worms its way into your head piece by piece. Maybe it's that meditative state you often sink into when you immerse yourself in a long piece of classical music. Or maybe it's the sense that the animators have been given real freedom to let their imaginations flow without the restrictions and pressure of a traditional feature film. Either way, it's a fascinating piece of art worthy of all the celebration it gets.

Villain rating(s): 

T-Rex: 4/5
Satan: 5/5

Best Song: The Sorceror's Apprentice

Disney Detail: The Ancient Greek character and scenery designs from the Beethoven 'Pastoral Symphony' section were clearly used as inspiration for Disney's much later Hercules (especially Zeus and the cute baby pegasus)

Why it's a Classic: Mickey Mouse in the wizard hat. Icon.

Once Upon A Disney #2: Pinocchio

Goodbye dwarfs and magic mirrors, hello wooden puppets, smoking 10-year-olds and man-eating whales. You guessed it – the second Walt Disney Animated Classic is none other than...

Pinocchio (1940) 

'Shall I make him sing The Greatest Showman?'

Three years after the critically acclaimed triumph of Snow White, Disney had to raise their game, and with the outbreak of WW2, audiences were in need of a new dose of escapism. Pinocchio, with its Alpine European setting and chocolate box houses, seems to capture a more simple, idyllic time with rose tinted glasses. However, as the twists of the story unfold, Pinocchio is far from an innocent fairytale. 

In fact, Disney's second feature film is a not-so-subtle moral fable, and a pretty dark one at that. The set-up: our titular character acts as a biblical Adam, created as a blank canvas by adorable old puppet master Geppetto and brought to life by a divine force (in this case, the very glamorous Blue Fairy). It's up to Pinocchio to make the right choices and embody three values to become a 'real boy' – Bravery, Loyalty, and Honesty. Seems simple enough. 

'It's LeviOsa, not LeviosAR'

Enter a positive rogue's gallery of villains to stop him at every turn. Like, SO many. In Snow White, she manages to escape death once and then have a nice little vacation with the dwarfs for an hour or so before the evil stepmother finds her again. In Pinocchio, he literally skips about two metres out of the front door before he's accosted by a sneaky-ass fox luring him into an exploitative theatrical career. That 'Hi Diddly Dee' song is catchy though. 

From then on, our little wooden-headed boy just doesn't catch a break. From death-threats by theatre owner Stromboli, to being lured into a slave trade that turns naughty boys into donkeys, this film is extremely perilous, and explores some shockingly adult themes. Do you remember when Pinocchio and a group of children get uproariously drunk and take huge drags on cigars? Yeah, they did THAT. 

Always let your conscience be your guide 🎶

Pinocchio carries much more complexity than Snow White, in both the volume and motivations of the characters, and the heaviness of the plot. One crucial element holds it together though, and that's a little green insect – Jiminy Cricket. Jiminy acts as narrator, moral compass, and sidekick to Pinocchio (or 'Pinoch', as he cheekily calls him), and seamlessly guides us through the story. He adds a brightness and level of hope to what might otherwise seem a genuinely bleak movie. As long as Jiminy has faith, so do we. And he also sets the stage for Disney sidekicks to come, from Timothy Mouse, to Sebastian, to Olaf. 

'Consider yourself, one of us!' 

Story and characters aside, the sheer detail in the animation has already come on leaps and bounds since Snow White, no more so than in the opening scenes in Geppetto's workshop. The intricacies of each cuckoo clock going through its motions at the same time, their mechanisms providing contrapuntal rhythms along to the score, is mind-boggling, even to watch in the present day. The subtleties of Pinocchios' movements as a puppet, and how these change throughout his journey, is inspired. And let's not forget the how the waves wash over the characters and seem to engulf the entire screen in that terrifying Monstro sequence. 

I can hear this image

Despite – or perhaps, because of – the darkness throughout Pinocchio's story, the final scene is one of the most iconic in the entire Disney canon. The image of Geppetto crying over the child he thinks he's lost before he even got to know him, followed by that sparkle of light as he's reanimated and becomes a 'real boy,' is truly magical. And not just because it's a sweet moment in itself, but because it's a fitting payoff for a turbulent and dangerous journey of self-discovery, where Pinocchio really did have to prove his worth. Wishing Upon A Star gets you part of the way, but sheer grit completes the quest. 

Villain rating(s): 

Honest John: 3/5
Stromboli: 4/5
Coachman: 4/5
Monstro the Whale: 5/5

Best Song: When You Wish Upon A Star ✨

Disney Detail: In the very opening scene where the Pinocchio book is opened, the books in the background include 'Peter Pan' and 'Alice In Wonderland,' two other stories that were adapted by Disney during his lifetime.

Why it's a Classic: Aside from having the most iconic song in Disney history, Pinocchio is a beautifully crafted classic fairytale which delights, scares and truly makes you believe in magic. 

Once Upon A Disney #1: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

I know what you've been thinking ....

Or more likely, you've forgotten that this blog ever existed. Well, by the power of Mickey Mouse, I'm back in business, and the first film we'll retread together actually is (nearly) 84 years old. So this was totally intentional.

My new mission – should you choose to accept it – is to revisit every single one of Walt Disney Studios' Animated Classics, according to the official canon. It's a series I'm tentatively calling Once Upon a Disney. We'll parade down Main Street USA together, revisiting Disney's highs and lows, award-winning songs, hammy villains, anthropomorphic horses, and much more. There are currently 57 movies along the way, and I fully expect that list to grow as I take – let's face it – the rest of my life to complete this challenge.

So without further ado, we'll take it back to where it all began, with ...

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) 

'Snow White, hun, you're flat. I was clearly tweeting a high A.'

Having avoided watching it for years (it does have a tendency to haunt one's dreams) I was actually pretty shocked by how close to perfect Disney's first feature film is. From the moment the elaborate fairytale book opens up to kick start the story of Snow White, you know what you're in for – a good old fashioned, enchanting fairytale with a proper goodie, baddie and lots of magic.

If ever there was a blueprint for the quintessential Disney movie, this is IT, chief. Terrifying stepmother trying to kill the heroine? Check. Singing woodland creatures? Check. Slightly arrogant main character who trespasses into someone's home? Check. Combatting depression with cleaning and singing? Double. Check.

Name me a more iconic tome. I'll wait. 

Casting his 'questionable' political views aside, Walt Disney's dream with his animated movies, and with Disneyland, was to take audiences back to a nostalgic place. A place that conjures the innocence and simplicity of a child's bedtime story. Snow White fits right into this mission statement, with its hidden woodland glades, nursery rhyme style songs, and the youngest Disney Princess to grace the silver screen. Yup, she's supposed to be 14. I checked.

What I imagine made Snow White a game-changer for Disney – apart from being the first feature-length animated film evs – was a couple of things: the meticulous detail and quality of the animation, and the artfully balanced story, oscillating between humour, darkness, and romance.

The first 20 -30 minutes zips through the exposition surprisingly quickly (mirror mirror on the wall, bring me Snow White's heart, oh hello handsome Prince etc). The real meat of the movie begins when Snow White flees her imminent death and stumbles upon some friendly deer and squirrels who guide her to a (seemingly) abandoned cottage. Enter seven little dudes.

'Is that a squirrel doing our dishes?' 

The middle act of the movie is the piéce de resistance – it's essentially a series of detailed comedy skits centred around the seven dwarfs, showcasing the immense talent of Disney's world-class animators. Each of the seven – Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, and Dopey – have distinct personalities, not only in how they talk and move on screen, but in the way they interact with each other. Snow White immediately takes on the motherly role to correct their slovenly bachelor ways (very Seven Brides) and by the time they're yodelling together in the living room, we forget Snow White's hiding from a murderous witch altogether.

But not for long. The Evil Queen is probably one of the top three scariest villains in the entire Disney canon, and no doubt invaded kids' nightmares for years to come. Terrifying enough in 'beautiful' form, it's when she creates the – now iconic – poisoned apple and transforms herself into an old hag that she really comes into her own. The Evil Queen's cackle would send shivers down anyone's spine, and she sets a precedent for all wicked stepmothers to come.

'It was on special offer at Aldi, I've got 19 more in the car.'

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs manages to encapsulate the hauntingly beautiful quality of a pre-WW2 golden age musical, as well as miraculously standing the test of time. 82 years later and she's still the fairest of them all.

Villain rating: 4/5

Best Song: Whistle While You Work

Disney Detail: On two occasions in the movie, the dwarfs exclaim 'Jiminy Cricket!' Who, of course, is Pinocchio's conscience guide in Disney's very next film.

Why it's a Classic: It's the original and possibly the best, setting up a perfect formula for Disney's signature, heart-capturing storytelling.