The Movie Diorama The animation studio only just started becoming popular back in 1940, and so did the medium of film. Moving pictures edited sequentially to create a cohesive story, it was an art form that remained questionable as to whether or not people would leave their houses. Walt Disney himself decided to push the boundaries by making Fantasia. Typically music accompany film however the "House of Mouse" decided to reverse it by crafting film to accompany music. Six short animations providing imagery for the orchestral pieces of music that power these pictures. Safe to say this was incredibly experiment. There's no dialogue (aside from Deems Taylor introducing each segment), just a symphony or classic pieces conducted by Leopold Stokowski. The concept immediately had me hooked for the first few segments. One consisting of a montage of famous pieces from Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker', Mickey Mouse returning in arguably the most memorable segment of the program titled 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' and from there we have multiple tonal changes with each segment. It's certainly something I've not seen before, and for that I have to give it credit. It truly does deserve the critical acclaim that is has garnered throughout the years. However, I found Fantasia to have a slight novelty factor that made the "film" repetitive. After the intermission, you start to realise that you have another three segments to go through which nothing new will be introduced. I became numb to the revolutionary concept. The animated shorts are pleasant to watch that both entranced and enthralled me, yet I just felt like something was missing. It wasn't a "film" more so just an experiment to prove that the idea works. It's clear it does, so the next step would be to create a fully fledged story that involves classical music where there is emotional investment and a sense of wonderment. Experimentalism at its finest that evokes whimsical magic boasted by a euphoric selection of classical pieces and beautifully hand drawn animation.

betina-18954 I will review this movie and all the segments.1. Toccata and Fugue in D minor. This is a great way to introduce the audience to Fantasia, with abstract art. However it is one of my lesser favorite segments, since some of the visuals could have been done better. However this is just nitpicking. Not much to say about this segment, other than it's a great way to introduce the audience to Fantasia. 8/10.2. The Nutcracker Suite. This one i will have to say is my favorite segment from this entire movie. I find myself stoning to this segment everytime i watch it. And the visuals are just amazing. I mean, you just feel like your in the forest or in a garden throughout this entire segment. Probably my favorite scene is when Autumn comes and these fairies turn the green leaves orange or brown. Not much more to say other than, just perfect. 10/10.3. The Sorcerer's Apprentice. This one i love like everyone else, and i think it's a classic. However, i still think it is overrated. That is because this is most people's or at least alot of people's favorite segment, the reason is probably that it's the most famous segment. And i disagree with that, since there are many superior segments in this movie. But i still think it's creative, fun and well drawn. 9/10.4. The Rite of Spring. This i will have to say is my second favorite segment in Fantasia. Although science not art wrote the story of this segment, they create something artistic out of something scientific, and i love that. This segment is very need and original. This is what Disney's Dinosaur or Walking with Dinosaurs should have been. Sadly though this is some people's least favorite segment, since some people feel it's too long. Come on the Pastoral Symphony was just as long, and no one is complaining about that. And Dinosaur experts also complain about Jurassic Period Dinosaurs and Cretaceous Period Dinosaurs living together, and the fact that it wasn't a meteor but climate change that caused the extinction of the Dinosaurs. Now i'm not a Dinosuar expert, but from what i can gather from my research, this was pretty scientifically accurate for it's time. It wasn't generally accepted in the 1940s that a meteor caused the extinction of the Dinosaurs, and there were many theories as to why they became extinct. And as for the Jurassic and Cretaceous Dinosaurs living together, most Dinosaurs were at the time thought to have lived at the same time. Even Stravinsky didn't like this segment for some reason. Either way, this segment is a classic. I especially love the scene where the Prehistoric Bacteria are acting like cute Disney animals. That is just genius and adds alot of personality to the segment. And who can forget the famous fight scene between the Tyrannosaurus and the Stegosaurus. An absolute classic. 10/10.5. The Pastoral Symphony. This is another great segment. I love the idea of it, and the artstyle is great. Although it may be a little too cute for some people, the scene with Zeus makes up for that. Not much more to say about it. 9/10.6. The Dance of the Hours. This i will have to say is my least favorite segment of this entire movie. It's not bad, and it does fit the movie. And it is fitting to have a more comedic segment. However i for some reason didn't find it all that funny. However there were scenes that made me chuckle, and it is well drawn. 7/10.7. The Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria. This is my third favorite segment in this movie. I love the design of Chernobog and the depiction of hell. And the Ave Maria is just one of the most beautiful moment made by Disney. A great way to end the movie. Not much more to say about this segment that people haven't said before. 10/10.Other than a few of the segments not being that good, this movie does have a few other flaws. I really didn't think the movie needed the scenes with the host. I know Fantasia was suppose to become a film series, and this movie was meant to just be an introduction to that, and they were probably going to leave the host out for the other movies. But i still thought the host was boring to sit through. But this is just nitpicking.This movie is a true classic and one of my favorite Disney movies. 10/10

patboldt Fantasia is the greatest thing that Disney ever made, there I said it. We all praise Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, but for 2D animated films, Disney is most creative with Fantasia. It's wonderfully brilliant because if you think about it, it's one of the first AMVs to ever be made. It sets classical music to animation and manages to make wonderfully brilliant imagery. But its more than that, the music has three forms in Fantasia 1.) Music that tells a definite story, 2.) Music that paints definite pictures, and 3.) music that exists simply for its own sake. Fantasia is composed of eight orchestral pieces which I will list below. 1.) Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach 2.) Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 3.) The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas4.) Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky 5.) The Pastoral Symphony by Ludwig Van Beethoven 6.) Dance of the Hours by Amilcare Ponchielli 7.) Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky 8.) Ave Maria by Franz Schubert One can love Fantasia purely because of the brilliant music but it's the beautiful imagery that really makes Fantasia stand out. So much of the life experience can be seen in these orchestrations because of how fantastically wonderful and yet mysterious it seems. Walt Disney really created something that was breath-taking in that he made something that added beauty to the life experience. Disney is known for being great at adapting stories: taking a story that we already know and adding a new take on it. The illusion is that Disney is creating new stories, which just isn't the case most of the time. However, with that said, Fantasia is something that is completely original because they're adding visuals to musical compositions. You can't adapt that, it has to be created and Disney really goes above and beyond with it. Fantasia is beauty incarnate, there is no better way to describe it. Watching Fantasia is a truly indescribable experience. It's wonder, it's joy, it's sadness, it's mystery, it's fear, but most of all it's magic, and it remains my favorite Disney piece. Fantasia truly is magnificent and will be remembered for all time.

Joli M I grew up with the 2000's fantasia, which I have seen many times over. Maybe that's why I was so partial to it when I would hear that the first fantasia was so much better than the one I already knew. It turns out those people had a point. Nothing feels forced as the conductor and the musicians around him actually stop to breathe in between the pieces they're playing. In addition, many of the musical bits with their animation; (which I have inevitably come across on the Internet) are really so much more impact-full in context. More time and attention seems to be given to each piece, which leads to numbers that can slowly fade in or out at the musics' pace-unhurried. There are a lot of moments throughout that will make someone familiar with the 40's and some of its ideas laugh for sure. I also feel as if the orchestra is more connected to what they are playing; rather than being swept aside by the animation. Though, the animation is stunning. When you consider that computers and just technology surrounding film, (let alone that in everyday life,) was nowhere near it is today; it's hard not to appreciate the time and skill that it really took to create an animation: let alone a Disney Animation. So glad I watched this! Though I still recommend seeing the later 200's version as well, because there are a few breathtaking numbers to be seen within; just know that the atmosphere of the two films do differ some.