Allegro non troppo

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

Allegro non troppo is one of my all time favorite movies. I am somewhat unique in that I saw this movie before Fantasia. Frankly, once I saw Fantasia, I was sadly disappointed. The spoof was more intelligent, better crafted, and more thought provoking. I never cry at movies - except for the Valtzer Trieste (sad waltz) section of this movie. I know if I saw it again, I would well up. Hey, I even liked the gorilla suit.

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.

"Allegro Non Troppo" is truly a great movie. The storyline, although sample and maybe awkward, is very, very funny.

Animations are good, too. The second and third ones are my personal favorite, but the finales are good, too! The storyline can be offending and crude, but that's all the point of it : it's like "Fantasia", from Walt Disney, as it said in the beginning of the movie, but actions made by characters are more adult-oriented (i.e. : sexual connotation).

Everybody who loves bizarre movies, animations, and stuff like that should love this movie. It is also posing a critical eye over the modern society, one made of consummation and things like that.

Definitely, a must-have!

I first saw Allegro non Troppo around 1985 in a VHS copy. I truly loved the film, since it was so different from standard Disney fare. Even the B&W interludes seemed wacky and added to the overall viewing pleasure.

Specially great clips were the Sibelius Valse Triste and the Firebird Suite.

Well, I recently bought the DVD version from this movie (after joining a list in Amazon, so they would edit a DVD version of the film) and I must say that this version is GREAT. Not only is the original film complete and in an excellent version, but there's also 10 additional Bruno Bozzetto shorts plus a documentary about him and his filmmaking.

So I really got a wonderful deal and would truly reccommend this DVD to all animation fans.

9/10!