Sorcerer's Apprentice: Moses and Parting the sea
In the first scene for Christian views of death in Disney's Fantasia we will be looking at the sorcerer's apprentice where the sorcerer parts the water created by Mickey and his magic spell. The image of the sorcerer stopping the spell alludes to Moses in the Bible and parting of the red sea. Appearing from a golden lighted hallway he is wearing long robes and a long white beard attributed to Moses. He doesn't use a wand or potion he just uses his hands and greater power. This isnt strictly dealing with death but more a renewal rebirth. He stops Mickey's childish mistake and makes way for a more mature way to apprenticeship.
Night on Bald Mountain: Devotees and Resurgence
The last scene is from a night on bald mountain. After the Chernobog had his fun with lower spirits and demons basking in the darkness and fire, the retreat of the spirits and demons are encouraged with the sound of the bells from church. The sound is painful to the spirits ears and they retreat to their resting places for the new day is approaching. The day breaks and we see devotees of christian faith chanting through the forest on procession to church. The background song is Ave Maria, a christian prayer for the Virgin Mary. This scene represents the leaving of darkness and evil forces and being replaced by light and holiness in a catholic form. The view that death and evil were present isnt as strong as the impact of christian faith."Conclude Fantasia with a most reverent rendering of "Ave Maria." As the dark monster of the previous sequence- Tchernobog in Modest Mussorgsky's Night on bald mountain(1886) is defeated by the first light of day.... Borrowing one of the most essentially Christian hymnes, Disney juxtaposes the music with visuals to reveal not a patriarchal vison of god, but a pantheistic notion that true religion is found in the natural world around us"(119 Walt to Woodstock.) Walt didn't want people to pick sides for religious views but saw everything as together, part of each other and the world we live in.
