Toon Talk Special: 50 Greatest Disney Animated Moments: Part 2 of 2
Page 5 of 5
#5 - Man in the Forest
Bambi - 1942
Bambi's mother has discovered a bare patch of grass within the snow-covered meadow. As her son grazes, she becomes aware of a disturbing presence in the surrounding trees. Sensing danger, she urges Bambi to run to the thicket, with her shortly behind. A shot rings out as they continue their dash to the safety of the forest. "Run, Bambi, run!" One more shot. Silence. Bambi arrives safely at their home. "We made it mother! Mother?" She is not there. Snow filling the screen in dread, the foal despondently cries out for her: "Mother? Mother?" He suddenly stumbles upon the Great Prince of the Forest. "Your mother can't be with you anymore." Seven words that will change the young deer's life forever. "Come with me, my son" the Great Prince says, as they slowly fade into the whiteness of the snowstorm.
#4 - "Toons!"
Who Framed Roger Rabbit - 1988
A Maroon Cartoon Production: "Somethin's Cooking" starring Roger Rabbit. This wacky short, cheekily irreverent while still celebrating this classic form, finds our rodent hero charged with the task of keeping an eye on innocent little Baby Herman or "it's back to the science lab for you!" Faced with a barrage of falling pots, flying knives and the powerfully strong suction of a household vacuum cleaner, Roger saves the day, and the baby, before having a refrigerator drop on his head. "Cut!" screams a voice, and suddenly we are on a movie soundstage where the props and set are three-dimensional, shadows play across the cartoon character's faces, Baby Herman starts cursing like a sailor and a live action human director steps in to chastise Roger for "blowing his lines again!" Never before have we seen "real" actors interact with "reel" cartoon characters (hereby dubbed "toons") in such an impressive, exciting way.
#3 - The Queen's Spell
Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs - 1937
When the Spirit of the Magic Mirror informs her Snow White is still alive, the smug look on the Queen's face turns to fury. Descending to her subterranean lab, where even the rats scurry away from her, she proceeds with her wicked designs. Plotting to "transform my beauty into ugliness", she collects the necessary ingredients for her evil concoction: mummy dust, the black of night, an old hag's cackle, a scream of fright. With a "blast of wind to fan my hate, a thunderclap to mix it well," the Queen swallows her black magic brew. The room swirling, her ebony hair bleaches to a chalky white; her slender hands degenerate into ossified claws, a flash of lightning baring the skeletal bones beneath. With a shrill cry of delight, the Queen reveals her new twisted form: bug-eyed, wart nosed, an old beggar woman's cloak to complete the sinister facade. "A perfect disguise!" she croaks, launching a thousand nightmares for years to come.
#2 - Chernabog Awakes
Fantasia - 1940
(c) Disney
It is night on Bald Mountain. There is silence as we pan up to the peaks high above. Moussorgsy's symphony begins as the tallest point of the mountain unfurls to reveal the devil himself, Chernabog. Stretching his shadowy limbs down the to the peaceful village, he raises the specters of the departed from the cemeteries, the gallows, the bloody battlefields below, to perform an orgiastic dance of the dead in the skies, swirling about in blind decadence. All is observed and controlled by this omnipotent puppeteer, these grotesque apparitions reveling in his demonic glory. Flames ignite, harpies soar, evil is unfettered. As this cacophonous bacchanalia approaches a fevered climax, the eventual dawn approaches. Church bells chime in the distance. The spirits descend back into their graves. Chernabog, his sinewy wings wrapping about him, is forced to return to his cold resting place high on the mountain top, forever defeated by these sounds of holiness.
#1 - The Enchanted Ballroom
Beauty & the Beast - 1991
(c) Disney
First we see Belle in the dress; this lovely young woman has come along way from that poor provincial town. Then we see the Beast; gone are the tattered rags that represent his torment, replaced by his regal finery. Mrs. Potts sings of this beauty and this beast, this tale as old as time, this song as old as rhyme. We enter with them into the gilded palace ballroom. The camera swoops up to the ceiling, past a spectacularly ornate chandelier, toward a mural of tiny cherubs in the clouds, gazing wistfully down upon the couple below. They begin to dance. Belle gently directs him to the proper stance. Beast, panicked, looks to his servants for encouragement, which he cheerfully receives from Lumiere and Cogsworth. Invigorated by this strange new feeling within himself, the Beast leads his beauty in a magical waltz, reflected in the polished floor beneath them. Belle too is finding "something there", and lovingly places her head on his broad chest, comfortable at last upon finding her own version of the "prince charmings" she has read about in books. We can see their love blossom, how these two outsiders have found within each other someone that can look beyond mere physical trappings, to the true being inside. Someone to love wholeheartedly, unconditionally.
The first time I saw this scene, I literally gasped at it's innate beauty. It perfectly combines everything that is important to create a classic movie moment: character, music, setting, feeling. Angela Lansbury's reassuring vocals, Howard Ashman's simple yet elegant lyrics, Alan Menken's grand melody, the ornate design of the fairy tale ballroom, the characters' interaction, and acting, with each other. It is pure magic.
As are all of the wonderful scenes represented within this compilation. They take you to far away places, show you the excitement of the imagination. They thrill your senses and inspire your dreams. They have created unforgettable memories for generations, and will continue for many more in the years ahead.
I hope you have enjoyed reliving these 50 Greatest Disney Animated Movie Moments as much as I have.
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-- Kirby C. Holt
Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.
The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted April 27, 2001