Allegro non troppo

I was introduced to this obscure gem by my mom when I was 9 years old. I have not seen it since, but I have looked for it since then, and now found it on DVD from Netflix. Reading the reviews of some more recent viewers has brought back many memories. I never forgot the "Bolero" evolution, and the poor kitty DID make me cry so...I didn't understand everything, and our TV was too old and small to let us see the subtitles at all, so no wonder I couldn't get it all. My favorite part was the little man that outsmarted the evil dictator. That still makes me laugh, although it's been so long (17 years!) I eagerly await the little red envelope to bring back some memories and strange fun! Please give this one a chance..I'm proof that it will stay in your heart for a long time.

I stumbled upon this one by accident. This is a parody of the Disney film Fantasia, so much so that someone from Disney personally calls the narrator of the film to tell him it's been done before. The narrator then refers to a "Mr Gisney or Pisney or someone" calling. This film is not to be taken seriously. Plus, I've never seen Fantasia so I can't compare.

The strange story is as follows: An angry conductor wishes to put on a show that ties classical music with animation, and employs an orchestra of old women to play at his show. He also has a captive animator whom he uses to provide the cartoons for the film. This all acts as a bridging element between the animated segments, while our narrator tries to give a bit of background to each piece.

The first segment clues you in that the usual Italian obsession with naked women has not been forgotten in this film as we have an aging Satyr trying and failing to attract many of the nymphs frolicking about the landscape. Strangely beautiful, especially if you like trees made out of boobs, nipples everywhere, and a strangely poignant ending. I don't know what it means but it must mean something.

I'm not going through every segment but the linking segments and animated segments run into each other and you see life evolve from the bottom of a coke bottle, a monkey escape into the theatre from the same segment, a man turn himself into a cartoon, a very sad piece involving a cat having flashbacks, and the narrator having to call someone in to provide an ending to the film.

The whole thing is very tongue and cheek and, as a person who doesn't get Italian comedy, I found it actually funny too. The animation is great in certain bits too (especially the house the cat remembers recreating itself), and it's all rather moving and beautiful. Like a steak pie on a roller skate.

This very hard-to-find mix of animation, music and comedy is a real treat for those who can appreciate it. I recorded it from TV some years ago, and it's still one of the most valuable articles in my archive. Very clever use of in-between b/w passages, great classical music and animations of totally different styles, concepts and attitudes, but each so well-blended with the music and the whole picture that you hardly get distracted.

I don't agree with the comparisons to Fantasia, this is something different. It deals with things (and uses imagery) that a Disney product would never dare, let alone in the days Fantasia was made.

If you have the slightest admiration for art, and can stand movies without the standard hollywood cliches, grab this one (though that won't be easy) and you'll not be sorry. 10 / 10

If you are feeling at all depressed or bored with psychological thrillers, this is just the film to brighten up your dark moments. It's not hilarious, it won't have you rolling about in hysterical laughter, but it will put a smile on your face and you may even manage a chortle or two. It's pure fantasy, the stuff that dreams are made of....Debussy, Dvorak, Ravel, Sibelius whose music forms the basis of this film would probably be amused at how their music has been interpreted.

While the black and white scenes of the compere, the conductor, the orchestra and the cartoonist are amusing enough, they seem a bit forced in their attempt at humour (the cartoonist is no Charlie Chaplin) and the transition from black and white to colour is never very smooth. Even the sound level is not constant.

Wherever did they get the old ladies to represent the orchestra? They looked as if they stepped straight out of a Fellini film. In a couple of farcical scenes one old girl while blowing a fanfare on her trumpet ran out of breath and fell over backwards. Another was knocked off the stage when she was struck by a cork propelled from an exploding bottle of champagne.

While the film lacks the technical quality of Disney's Fantasia, it still has some amusing and original ideas. To the sound of Ravel's Bolero, we see some sludge at the bottom of a bottle give way to primitive life and then follows in rapid succession the origin of the various species of life on earth. Even Darwin would have been fascinated by this interpretation of his theory of evolution.

Allegro Non Troppo is far more sexual than any of Disney's work. The faun is depicted as a lecherous old man, an interpretation never seen before in any of the great ballets. There are heart-tugging moments too, particularly to the beautiful music of Sibelius, when we see a starved cat searching for food, warmth and company amongst the ruins of a home.

When one ponders over the number of hours the artists worked on this film, one can only admire their competence and artistry. See it at your first opportunity.

The live-action scenes are kitschy, yes, but still very good. I prefer it to Fantasia, if you must know the truth. I never ever ever need to hear the overplayed 'Bolero' again, but even my exhausted ears still enjoy the sight of evolution from a Coke bottle. The Sibelius still brings tears to my eyes. Make sure you find the subtitled version, as the dubbed one is pretty atrocious.