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Impressions de France reviews

Theme Park Insider readers offer their ratings and reviews for Impressions de France, a movie in World Showcase - France at Epcot.

Bob Rogers and Rick Harper
EPCOT "Impressions de France" co-producers/co-writers Bob Rogers (left) and Rick Harper (right) stand in front of the story board for the film. Rick was also the film's director, director of photography and music researcher/editor. This photo was taken in 1980 at Walt Disney Imagineering (it was WED Enterprises then) shortly before filming began. Today Rick Harper and his wife live in Carmel, California. He retired from filmmaking in the early 1990's, pursuing his interest in oil painting. He can be reached at carmelharper@hotmail.com. Bob Rogers is the founder and Chairman of BRC Imagination Arts, headquartered in Burbank, California, www.brcweb.com. Photo courtesy of Marty Sklar.

Written by
Posted: December 18, 2008

Impressions de France
France Pavilion, EPCOT, 1982

Director and Director of Photography – Rick Harper
Producers – Rick Harper and Bob Rogers
Writers – Bob Rogers and Rick Harper
Production Managers – Antoine Compin, Charis Horton and Philippe Modave
First Camera Assistant – Joe Nash
Camera Assistant – Frank Redmond
Chief Grip – Renι Strasser
Best Boy – Jean Strasser
Gaffer -- Jacques Touilland
Grip – Yvon Sausseau
Transportation – Pierre Vimont & Hilaire Lovato
Helicopter Pilot – Marc Wolff
Helicopter Safety Engineer and Camera Assistant – Steve North
CircleVision-200 Camera – Don Iwerks
Editor – Andre Bacha
Music Research & Editor – Rick Harper
Original Sequence Music Composed – Buddy Baker
Music Production Coordinator – Richard Clements
Recorded by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
at Abbey Road Studios, London
Executive Producer for the Films of EPCOT Center – Randy Bright

A Production of WED Enterprises (Walt Disney Imagineering)
in association with
Walt Disney Productions

THE MUSIC
Rick Harper's film, presented on a 200-degree screen in a sit-down theater, shares a series of visual impressions from France, enlivened by Buddy Baker's score of French classical music.

From Disney's production notes about the film, here is a list of scenes and the music played within them:

Cliffs of Etretat in Normandy: Debussey - "Solo for Flute"
Marais Poitvin near La Rochelle: Saint-Saens - "Aquarium" from "Carnival of the Animals"
Chambord in the Loire Valley: Boieldieu - "Concerto for Harp and Orchestra"
Chateau Beynat in Dordogne Valley: Debussey - "Nocture 1"
Bicyclists at La Roque: Offenbach - "Gaite Parisienne"
Hot air balloons near Chateau Chaumont: Ravel - "Daybreak" from "Dauphine et Chole Suite 1"
French Alps: Debussey - "Claire de Lune"
Skiers in Chamonix: Erik Satie - "Trois Gymnopedies"
Mont St. Michel: Saint-Saens - "Aquarium" from "Carnival of the Animals" (again)
Wedding reception in Brittany farmyard: traditional folk music (unidentified)
Railway tracks in hills of Champeauroux: Saint Saens - "Finale" from "Carnival of the Animals"
Notre Dame de Paris: Offenbach - "Gaite Parisienne" (again)
Garde Republicaine rides through archway at the Louvre: Dukas - "Fanfare" from "La Peri"
Eiffel Tower: Saint Saens - 4th movement from Organ Symphony no. 3

Photo of Impressions de France

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Readers' rating:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
46 votes, so far

I have loved this show since I first saw it, and the music is incredible. how can you update perfection...........my only complaint is that I can't find the full sountrack from the movie so I can listen to it all the time - Kevin Knott

Might be my favorite movie at EPCOT...not sure why. - Glenn Davis

Really nice theater and the film is good too. However, If they don't update this, it will become horrible and only worth listening to the music. - David L.

I don't get why so many people love this movie. It's a good way to get some great views of France, but really that's all it's worth. - Brandie S

During my 2010 visit I re-watched the Impressions de France movie really trying to see why others on this site love it so much. And I still don't get it. Yeah, the music is nice, and some of the camera work is kind of cool, but the show is still a complete snoozer. My entire family fell asleep, and I had to fight hard not to follow suit. Sorry, gang, but I guess I am just not cultured enough. While Impressions is a pleasant enough diversion, to me it is just a really bad poem put to really good music. And I get sleepy just thinking about it... - James Rao

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