MOVIE · 1940

Fantasia

AnimationFamilyFantasyMusical125 min

Eight animated sequences turn classical music into images, stories, and spectacle, moving from dancing mushrooms and flowers in “The Nutcracker Suite” to Mickey Mouse’s runaway spell in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” Music critic Deems Taylor appears on camera as master of ceremonies, introducing each piece between live-action interludes, while conductor Leopold Stokowski leads the Philadelphia Orchestra through the score. The film shifts from playful animal ballet and abstract shapes to darker supernatural imagery, including the demon Chernabog towering over “Night on Bald Mountain.”