GKIDS
Mar 27-29 at the Metrograph
(see website for showtimes)
Allegro Non Troppo in 2K is a revelation compared to the last time I saw it on VHS. That version was an nth-generation copy from back when tape trading foreign films was one of the only ways to see them, since distribution was so limited. For years, movie enthusiasts had to squint through tracking lines and muffled audio to experience Bruno Bozzetto’s 1976 masterpiece. It was still an experience, though, and the classical music showed how sound and light, through image, must move in synchronicity. They’re connected in more ways than one, and this 50th-anniversary restoration proves why some works truly are “immortal.”
When local art houses don’t screen classics like this as often, it’s worth remembering that films of this kind are meant to be seen in theatres. To reinforce that point, GKIDS is showing off a remaster at the Metrograph in Manhattan. There may be more theatrical dates to come before it finally arrives on home video.
While the original film was always a gritty, satirical “anti-Fantasia,” this technical overhaul finally allows the artistry to breathe. It’s a remarkably clean copy, sourced from a pristine 4K scan that removes decades of dirt and debris without introducing digital artefacts. The lines are incredibly sharp, and the lived-in feel of the hand-drawn cels is preserved. Even the Italian dialogue and framing sequences benefit from clean subtitles and sharp text, ensuring the dry wit is never lost. Compared with my old tape copy and a later DVD release, it’s miles ahead.
The live-action sequences, starring Maurizio Nichetti in a hilarious vaudeville-style act involving a symphony and an ape, feel much more lively and integrated in this version. The contrast between the monochromatic “real world” and the bursts of animation is striking. The high-resolution audio restoration also removes the hiss of old magnetic tracks, allowing the orchestral swells of Sibelius’ Valse Triste to land with haunting clarity.
Bozzetto’s film has always functioned as a “Pisney” joke. That bit of dialogue was always intended as a biting reference to Fantasia. Nowhere is this clearer than in the segment set to Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, which remains my personal favourite. The sequence parallels the “Rite of Spring” segment, complete with a solar eclipse. It begins when liquid at the bottom of a discarded soda bottle gains life, then progresses through fanciful representations of evolution until skyscrapers erupt from the ground and destroy all that came before. This iconic opening moment, used for the film’s poster, is now rendered with a vibrancy that highlights its status as a masterpiece of timing.
It is also worth noting that this score has since become a recurring engine for animation. While it serves as the literal heartbeat here and in Ivan Maximov’s Bolero, it has also functioned as a cue in Digimon and Futurama. In Allegro Non Troppo, though, the music is the absolute driver of the concept. Whether you’re revisiting the haunting grayscale of the Sibelius segment or the rhythmic march of the Ravel piece, this restoration is a must-watch that strips away the fog of those old tapes and reveals a sharp, vibrant classic. Seen in a proper opera house or theatre, the spectacle is absolutely worth it.
5 Stars out of 5
Allegro Non Troppo in 2K Trailer
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