Walt & El Grupo is a very interesting documentary. First, one of the biggest disasters came out of this trip for Disney Studios called The Three Caballeros. Critics panned it and it wasn’t received very well by the public, but it did shine as an example of what Walt Disney wanted to do when he signed up to become the ambassador for the U.S. Government on his way to South America. With that one film he showed how much life and culture the continent thrived with and what hidden gems of creativity were yet to be discovered. The documentary goes through all facets of goods and bads that Disney had to face on his way to shedding light on a new form of creative standards.
What I particularly like about this film is that it shows two sides of Disney. I had no idea that Walt Disney had been involved in a head-to-head strike with animators in 1941. The story starts with Walt pretty much telling the strikers where they can go. Disney has always seemed like a father figure to me, but it’s a refreshing side to see the man get frustrated and angry. Is it good for his image? Well, nothing good comes from anger, but it’s understandable to see him feel betrayed by his America animators, especially with their pretty vicious strike.
The second part of this film is when Walt Disney heads for South America to escape the soon-to-be union in America to find creative refuge within a very creative continent. Going from anger to relief really does play well for the flow things in this film. It’s a great set up and literally just what the doctor ordered for this documentary. What’s even more amazing is that after extensive research on the subject the transition I just talked about is the ‘actual’ way things went down. It’s not just movie fluff; rather it’s the truth (which is something you dont’ see often in these types of features, as they are generally more self-serving).
Playing these two sides bodes well for the documentary.
Now, when the film changes to footage of the South American trip and what he, and his newfound animators, pick up along the way the documentary goes from good to great. Like I stated above, the animators were sent around to pick up life in South America and represent it well through animation, music and good times. It was like watching the rebirth of a man, where everything that he might have lost in the fire of his life suddenly comes back. It’s like if Walt Disney went on an extended vacation to get his mind off things. It’s an amazing story that’s offset with vintage footage of the trip and origins of great ideas (even if some of them failed).
Are there any bad points to the film? Well, it’s sad to know that the trip produced so-so films, but that’s the breaks. Outside of that, the documentary of his trip is something that every Disney fan out there should see. It might put more perspective on The Three Caballeros and help sort out what Disney and his crew were really trying to produce. Very interesting stuff, nonetheless.
Now, outside of the documentary you get some very solid features. Here’s what you’re looking at:
• Audio Commentary—With director Theodore Thomas and historian J.B. Kaufman.
• Photos in Motion
• From the Director’s Cut
– Home Movies for the Big Screen
– My Father’s Generation
– Artists and Politicians
• SALUDOS AMIGOS Original 1942 Release
• Original Theater Trailers Saludos Amigos (1942) The Three Caballeros (1944)
What’s fascinating about these features is that you quite a bit for a small DVD release. I call it small because it wasn’t really out in theaters or heavily advertised (at least in our medium market). With that said, you get some great features with this release that reinforce the story really well. You get some vintage footage, the original 1942 release of Saludos Amigos and great commentary that helps tell another dimension of the story as it unfolds in the documentary.
Really solid stuff for a DVD like this.
