Disney Reality

Disney animation prophetically inaugurated the relativity of the real in everyday life, that is, in immediate, sensory perception. Until then, the reaching of fantasy was mediated. Reading demanded a withdrawal in to thought, and watching a play or a live action movie required an understanding of the story. The fantasy of their fictitious reality was all in the plot. It was intimated, not really seen. What was directly visible was either reality or a reproduction of it, like the shape and the movement of flesh and blood actors. With Disney animation, fantasy became immediate. It was in the very shape of characters, in their being drawn, colored and created from scratch, rather than just photographed on film. The way they moved was fantasy, their multicolored environment was fantasy, the way their story flowed was fantasy. It was all fantasy and alive, more colored and second nature feeling than reality. In the directness of its convincing power, Disney animation became even more immediate than reality: body and soul inspiring.