Cinderella

Cinderella (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson & Hamilton Luske, 1950)

When Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from the lovable mice Gus and Jaq, and from her Fairy Godmother.

When the Disney Studios re-release one of their classic movies you must decide if you want it or not because they get them out of the vault for a limited time only. It might be considered a very greedy approach but also it brings a sense of urgency to get it before it’s no longer available. The collectors out there, like the writer of those lines, are interpellated by this mercantile aspect of DVD/Blu-Ray rarity. Back in 2008, I went on a vacation to Disney World and I brought as a souvenir and because it’s my childhood favorite The Jungle Book. Well, this year the ultimate fairy tale has been released in a slick Blu-Ray. Cinderella being my wife’s favorite, I surprised her the day it came out I gave her the film. Personally, I saw the main scenes: the transformation, the dancing and some other scenes but I never sat through the entire thing because it was a girl movie when I was young.

However, with time and a fair interest in Disney Classics, it was about time that this critic discovers Cinderella. Like aforementioned, this is every girl’s fairy tale. A charming prince is looking to marry the perfect maiden. Cinderella is an eligible young woman but living with her stepmother has been a real pain in the back. She is the slave of her stepsisters and stepmother. However, she always gets up happy, singing with the birds and playing with mice. Some of the greatest moments of the animated feature are the upgrade of the dress, and the appearance and performance of the Fairy Godmother. Every element in Cinderella is very charming and the plot is elevated with the comic relief of the animals that have equalled if not more important parts in the movie than humans.

This is one of the most beautiful films that Disney has made and even if some elements and values may be perceived as conventional, well it was released in 1950 by a very American studio and in Far Away. What do you expect? It sets the standard with Snow White as the classic fairy tale. I must conclude with the fact that I think that the early Disney classics are masterpieces and that their craft are great works of Art. Even if Walt Disney himself once said that the worst thing that could happen to him was that his films were only shown in Art Houses I think that they can be appreciated in any theatre and by a vast public. Labelling Cinderella as Art doesn’t input it to be reserved to a restricted public neither does it under evaluate it. It’s a question of giving its nobility to the film. Highly recommended.

Fantasia un film de Ben Sharpsteen - Retrospective

TSPDT Greatest Films #264 Fantasia (Ben Sharpsteen, 1940)


Considered by many as the greatest animated film of all time Walt Disney's Fantasia is more than a regular cartoon picture. First of all, I think it's not an animated film especially for children not because of inappropriate material but because a child needs more of a story to hold up to and maybe more action to it. The many parts with juxtaposition of music and animated images is sublime and I must say as a Disney aficianado; I really liked it! Especially, for all the work behind the film of the many many artists shadowed by the prestance of Walt Disney. The film did not do good at its release and it's long time after it got the recognition it deserved.

With the exception of the narration of Deems Taylor there ain't no links between the musical parts. I easily understand why the public didn't rushed into the theaters when it was released. Disney wanted to show to the moviegoers an other side of classic music. But, the classic music fan base wasn't the same crown that got to the Cinema. Without interest in the music the images may be as beautiful as they are they could not hold the audience as he did with Snow White.

Many songs used in Fantasia are common classic songs we often hear in Cinema. Having a different vision of them is refereshing and also sometimes it's not the image we have in mind that is on the screen so it changes the meaning of the song. I compare the entertainment value of Fantasia to a great fireworks show. The music fits the image and they compement each other. But, would you sit through two hours of a fireworks show? I would answer yes! If you ask yourself to watch it or not you can ask yourself this question. I can say to you that this fireworks show is pretty damn good!