Apparently, Bruno Bozzetto saw Fantasia and said, "Man, I could do that so much better." (Well, I guess it would have been more like, "Potrei fare di meglio.") Thus was born his masterpiece of animation in 1976. A live character, a slightly off-key filmmaker, thinks he has a great original idea: He'll do an animated film set to classical music! He's informed that it's already been done, but spends the live action portion of the film shrugging off this "Prisney" fellow. He uses an orchestra made up of old ladies and an animator who's been kept in a dungeon. The live action stuff is fairly lame, but the animation is a jewel. Guido Manuli interprets Debussy's Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun. This lovely adult cartoon (no, not like that!) shows an old satyr who is desperately trying to woo some nymphs. The mood of this music is perfect for the story, and you might even find a tear in your eye. Ravel's Bolero is used for a piece on the origin of life on earth. Life is shown in the full story of evolution. As the dinosaurs march along, the music fits perfectly. They look as if they were drawn by Bosch. Of course, the most evil creature of all takes center stage. Yeah, you.
You PETA folks will love the sad Valse Triste. A little wide-eyed kitten remembers the good ol' days. This is probably the most technically impressive piece in the movie. It is an emotional treat, and you'll probably always think of this poor animal when you hear this music again.
There's also the Concerto in C Minor by Vivaldi, about a cute bee that is mauled by two kids humping in the grass. Stravinsky's Firebird is used as an ironic retelling of the Adam and Eve story.
Allegro non Troppo is to Fantasia what Radiohead is to Hootie and the Blowfish. If you got all gooey over Fantasia, you should see this (on the big screen would be best; as if that were going to be possible, eh?) and then decide. There's more humanity and art in one of the episodes in this movie than in all of Fantasia. Go pee during the live action scenes.
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