University of Virginia Library

Fantasia
Revisited

It is difficult, at first, to take
Paul Chaplin seriously in his review
of Walt Disney's film Fantasia.
Halfway through the article we
begin to wonder if he has even
bothered to see the film before
writing his review.

As we read on, however, the
horror increases when we realize
that, in fact, he actually has seen
the film and still speaks the way he
does.

It seems that our critic does not
take the narrator at his word. Before
the music actually begins, the
narrator tells us that artists have
put down their thoughts upon hearing
the music. The cartooning, far
from demanding an editing of the
music, was inspired by it. The
cartooning depends on the music,
and not vice versa. Perhaps Mr.
Chaplin is thinking of the left out
repeat in the first movement of
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, or
the admittedly poor editing job in
the third movement of the same.
Perhaps he has never tried to devise
a complete scenario for two hours
of music written, in some cases,
centuries ago. The visualizations
are, indeed, a result of "genius."

Mr. Chaplin complains of "dragging"
in the Pastoral and Stravinsky's
Rite of Spring. At this point
we begin to doubt Mr. Chaplin's
sanity or, maybe, just his understanding
of music. These two pieces
are certainly among the most enchanting
and exciting works of music
ever composed. And in Rite of
Spring the further complication is
added that what was shown in
cartoon form was "an accurate representation
of how scientists believe
life began on our planet."

This is one of the greatest collaborations
of our time and our
critic can only complain that "it
drags." Well, perhaps the critic isn't
interested in geology or evolution
either. But if he isn't interested in
science, and he doesn't really enjoy
the music, what is he doing here at
all?

Finally we arrive at our answer.
The man has come for humor,
humor and animation! He wants to
be entertained. Let us not argue
about the relative brilliance of the
cartooning in this or any other
Disney film. What is pertinent here
is that Mr. Chaplin "edited" this
film to suit his own light fancy. He
is guilty of that which he accuses
Disney and his cartoonists. Instead
of letting the artists speak for themselves
and develop the movie in the
way that seems best to them, he
wants them to drop all attempts at
seriousness and remain bound to
light humor. Only this sort of
blindness could have permitted the
final audacity of suggesting that
Schubert's Ave Maria be left out.

We suggest that Mr. Chaplin see
this movie again before it leaves the
University.