The 2016 documentary, Walt: The Man Behind the Myth starts off with a series of old vintage shots of the premiere of Mary Poppins. This was very effective leaving Disney’s words in the movie so we had a sense of his presence and also how he was as a person. The film goes on to  more vintage shots of Chicago and Kansas City. With Disney being born in Chicago it changed his upbringing moving to Missouri and changed his perspective on life. I feel as Kansas City also changed his view a little also. This set up a transition into his family life and his grandma as an inspiration of his life. Kansas City opened up Disney to his first form of entertainment that was inspired by Charlie Chaplin silent films. Disney wasn’t really interested in school but only the newspaper that published his cartoons. The documentary does a good job with filling the space with examples and pictures of Disney’s cartoons. His cartoons would show his thoughts of the war and he was persistent to somehow get involved. So after coming across a red cross unit that allowed 17 year olds and after changing his birthdate, Walt arrived in France to help with transport.

He soon then went back to Kansas City to pursue his dreams of becoming an artist. The way the interviews are set up with his family members and friends are very clear and smooth. With their own writing it puts an individual twist on each interview. The interviewer does good with keeping this consistent and showing the interviewees individuality through their signature. Disney soon took up work at the Kansas City Film Ad Company hoping to make simple cartoons. He read books to learn more of animation and how to progress his work. He started making his own laugh-o-grams that helped him progress greatly and the first ended up in the Newman Theatre. I think the writing in the backgrounds and videos of scenery gives us a good perspective of his beginning. Also the shot of him at his drawing board was brilliant to add showing his artistic struggle and how he started. Disney learned he couldn’t do it alone and went around to recruit for his company. The documentary does a brilliant job of showing specific b-roll of his shorts and with the combination of the interviewee explaining this, it works effectively. Disney’s films are very much referred to today as “modernized fairy tales.”

His crew and himself would take a fairy tale and put a contemporary spin on it. The example of his work, “Puss in Boots” is great b-roll and shows his artistic style and ideas so we can put a image to his vision as an animator. This is so effective and brings the audience in more by having someone explain over the b-roll Disney’s vision and summary behind the film. With his brother coming down with an illness and dying it sent the rest of his family to Oregon. Disney had a close bond with his family and even included them in some of his films. His sister in her interview captures his close bond and shows a film she was apart of. Disney’s cartoons mixed with human acting like in “Alice’s Wonderland” was so genius. Half way through his production of this he became broke and soon had to sell his movie camera. He soon would move to Los Angeles to his uncle’s garage to turn it into a cartoon studio. The picture of the place lets us envision where he came up with his work and gives us a good view on where his new life was taking him. The b-roll is set up perfectly to help lead the viewers along his life.

After sending his script of “Alice’s Wonderland” to Margaret Winkler and receiving a telegram back he had went in to form Disney Brothers’ Studio with his uncle. The pictures in the b-roll help us envision the time period and actors that helped him along his journey and gives us a input of who was close with him at the time.

With Disney’s new camera he set up shop and with his new income he had become successful in shooting his film. After Disney gets married to his beloved Edna, he puts a down payment to build a production studio for his Alice series. He had soon made new cartoons that would get picked up by Universal studios. Ozwald the rabbit became very popular and so the two brothers decided to build house close to their studio. Van Dyke in the documentary does an amazing job of describing every detail to the viewer of Disney’s eventful life. Disney then went to New York to strike a deal for the renewal of Ozwald. Mintz took Ozwald from Disney and practically took his staff. He then went to come up Mickey Mouse with the help of his mom and starred him in his own film being crazy in secret.

This documentary has this basic formula set up which is effective with the storytelling aspect mixed with good b-roll and effective quotes from interviewers. Disney soon had audio design set up and would have multiple tracks compiled of crazy sound effects and roaring orchestras. The documentary takes an important piece in Disney’s career of Mickey on the steam boat and matches it with the effective information about his sound design and it makes you listen in more on each sound effect being played. Disney coordinating sound with cartoon was genius. He had then voiced Mickey himself and Mickey had then made Disney successful. Disney’s “Skeleton Dance” was one of his first successful films to match music with the cartoon itself which came from his Silly Symphony. He was successful with producing this new type of entertainment.

The documentary changed one interview with Marc Davis making it more closed in and the shot clamped to him on the right side of the screen. Disney wanted something different and his staff stayed loyal while he experimented. He had soon given birth to his son, Roy, which opened his life to more of a family path.The music sets up great vibes to the audience giving this easy-going life mood and works well with the b-roll given in the documentary.

With Disney making a new risky Silly Symphony, adding color to his film made the cost skyrocket. He then went to win an Oscar with his first colored Silly Symphony, Flowers and Trees, and was first given to a cartoon. He had then given birth to his second child, his daughter Diane. This documentary does an amazing job showing b-roll and videos from her memories and point of view growing up. Disney then became split in how he treated his family and how he treated his workers. I feel the music in this scene in the documentary shows something more than what we see is going on. Music is very important in this documentary and gives us a clue to the tone of each piece of Disney’s life.

Disney was a natural actor and gave life to his films to show his staff how the story is portrayed. With his new success found in Snow White, he had an amazing huge premiere that brought attention from around the world. Disney received a new academy award from his success. The documentary is great adding small clips that add to each event in between transitions. With Disney’s new fortune he built a new studio and had bought a multiplane camera that greatly made the quality spectacular in his films.This camera could have up to 4 levels making his films more complex.

Pinocchio became one masterpiece that used the camera. Music was also very important to Disney. Fantasia became one of these greats creations that was unusual but had unbelievable music. The documentary does good in giving samples of each of his pieces. Soon the war cut off 40% of his revenue from overseas. The studio then became in debt and was in a frustrating situation

Disney then started to make propaganda films with the event of Pearl Harbor happening. The documentary does good mixing in heavy history in with Walt’s life and how it affected his work and life. He then went to make a documentary that won an oscar called Seal Island. That film was very successful for him.

Disney would go to make Disneyland that was based off of Tivoli. After completing the deal with ABC and gave the company stake in the park for money invested to build the park. Disney went to make episodes for Disneyland in color and make over 2 billion dollars all together. The documentary gives this powerful opening day speech with vintage and modern b-roll that is the most effective piece in the documentary.

He then went to make Mary Poppins and cast Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. It had new technology and 13 film nominations which led to 5 awards.  Later in his years he had a tumor and very little years to live. December 15th, 10 days after his 65th birthday, Walt Disney had died. He was a very inspirational and powerful man. The documentary does great showing who he inspired and moving it at a good paced tempo with the music. They then built a museum in his honor and showed he was human like all of us.

Overall the film is effective and powerful in telling the story of Disney’s life. I feel the documentary did a great job of portraying his messages and emotions in certain events in his life. I would recommend this documentary is you have any fascination with Disney and his creations and upbringing.