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Posts Tagged ‘disney’

Bambi (1942)

Nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Music – Scoring of a dramatic or Comedy Picture, Bambi is a true animated classic of the silver screen. Long before public introduction to Aladdin, The Lion King or Finding Nemo, one called the Walt Disney full-length animated feature film from nothing and in a sustainable, well-respected genre – Creating a family classic after another, starting with Snow White (1937) than Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), and Dumbo (1941), before this gem in 1942. Directed by David Hand, a long time Disney animator and supervising director of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Bambi is a masterpiece of color, movement, and the beauty of life. The relative simplicity harkens to a time long past when films focused on the symbolism, emotional breadth, and at the boundaries of artistic creativity, rather of catering to a perceived audience demographic. The result is a truly remarkable and memorable family experience …

Bambi begins with the birth of a young deer forest (Bambi), which is in the world, surrounded by a crowd of anxious admirers. Praised as "the great prince of the forest," Bambi is thrust into an exotic world of plant and animal life, complete with highs and lows experienced in the world of reality. One of the most powerful scenes of the film (and the one most often mentioned in connection with Bambi) is when the dreaded "man" (ie a group of hunters) enter the forest and kills Bambi's mother. Although the scene takes place off camera, Disney manages to convey all the emotional trauma of the event in the brevity of a few brave and powerful strokes.

As Bambi will recover from death of his mother, he must learn to grow from an awkward in a fearless fawn buck. The charming scenes of Bambi on a frozen pond are cumbersome quickly overshadowed by the strength of his maturation into a formidable leader. Assisting him on his journey is a parade of unique personalities, the most notable of whom is a rabbit named Thumper. Thumper's vocal speed and eagerness to threaten Bambi friend steal the show, but the growing deer never loses his deserved spotlight. Throw in a skunk named Flower and a beautiful doe Feline called love (Bambi's interest), and the film comes together in his own right, creating a combination of tragedy and triumph all ages can enjoy …

In stark contrast with the contemporary colleague, Bambi is a refreshing departure from the current very animated commercial functions. Although Thumper provides the necessary comic relief, the film is more than just a flood of young one-liners – and provides absolutely zero fart jokes. Instead, Bambi wraps a timeless story of a journey of life to adulthood in the majesty that is mother nature. His ingenious illustration of a forest full of wild animals and the dangers faced by the residents is really awesome. In short, Bambi has all the hallmarks of a classic tinsel-town – one that must now Disney's creations completely green with envy …

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com] where you can find more reviews like this one of the Bambi (DVD) Review [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/bambi-dvd.html].

(Original 1942) Bambi Trailer