Preamble: As a person who can't even draw a straight line with a ruler, I really appreciate artwork in it's many variations and you can say a lot of things about Bambi but you could never say it wasn't a beautiful masterpiece that still amazes to this day. If you did, I might just have to fight you about it. This is the movie that really made me stand up and appreciate the love and care that goes into the craft of GREAT animation. I remember the first time I'd watched Bambi, it was shortly after I had watched Snow White. I remember the deer in that movie. They were less than graceful to say the least but fast forward a few years and you get this beautiful articulated rendition of deer. That always impressed me so much and I was absolutely floored when I learned how they actually got it to look like that. Google it, it's impressive.
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Year: 1942

Rated: G

Summary - A fawn named Bambi joins his new friends, a young rabbit named Thumper and a skunk kit named Flower in happily exploring the woods. Bambi is captivated with a young doe named Faline, and he learns from his doting mother and his father -- the Great Prince of the Forest -- that besides the delights of the forest, there is danger in open meadows where hunters can see them. Though fear and tragedy touch Bambi's life, another spring brings renewal.

Story direction: Perce Pearce
Story adaptation: Larry Morey

Director: David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors)

Starring:

• Bobby Stewart as Baby Bambi
• Donnie Dunagan as Young Bambi
• Hardie Albright as Adolescent Bambi
• John Sutherland as Adult Bambi
• Paula Winslowe as Bambi's Mother and the Pheasant
• Peter Behn as Young Thumper
• Tim Davis as Adolescent Thumper and Adolescent Flower
• Sam Edwards as Adult Thumper
• Stan Alexander as Young Flower
• Sterling Holloway as Adult Flower
• Will Wright as Friend Owl
• Cammie King as Young Faline
• Ann Gillis as Adult Faline
• Fred Shields as Great Prince of the Forest
• Margaret Lee as Mrs. Rabbit
• Mary Lansing as Aunt Ena and Mrs. Possum
• Otis Harlan as Mr. Mole

Top Picks from the Soundtrack (Listen Here)

• Main Title (Love Is A Song)- by Donald Novis
• It Could Even Happen To Flower - by Frank Churchill
• Looking for Romance (I Bring You a Song) - by Disney Studio Chorus

The Review

Having just re-watched this, literally last night, I have to say that Bambi is actually a little more intense than I remembered. But I'm also older and more sensitive to what kids should and probably shouldn't watch now hat I'm partially responsible for three young children for three and a half months out of the year. While, I don't believe in coddling I do believe in a thing called age 'appropriate' and I have to say that this is definitely a movie for kids who aged five and up.

While I'm sure anyone who has seen Bambi instantly remembers that Bambi's mother dies probably doesn't remember all the other intense things that happen during the film off the top of their head. For instance, do you remember the raging forest fire? Or how about when Bambi and another young buck fight over Faline? I even discovered that those raging thunderstorm sequences with its rapidly changing color palette and bombastic scoring has the potential be scary for very small children though I must say it is still a marvel to gaze at.

I think the reason Bambi left such inedible mark on my psyche is that I'm from a family of hunters, though I prefer a bow to a gun probably because of this movie in all honesty. My family instilled in me a sense of wonder and respect for nature and in that regard I think that's what the core of this movie is about. Looking back I realize it was kind of like the first incarnation of The Lion King what with it's very eerily similar look at the 'circle of life' only it's on a more germane scope and scale (the forest instead of the exotic plains of Africa).

I say all that to say that I really do appreciate that unlike in most contemporary animated movies, the violence portrayed is realistic. Growing in southern California we did have forest fires and mudslides and when I lived in Michigan yes those summer thunderstorms off of Lake Michigan were very scary. People eat animals as well as hunt (and fish) strictly for sport and that's life. Parents die, children grieve but eventually move on and have a family of their own and pass down the lessons that their parents taught them to their children.

What I really love the most about Bambi are the friendships forged and the timeless lessons provided by Friend Owl in a subtle but humorous manner. I also like that it actually isn't as sentimental as one would believe because it if it was made today I don't think the four key factors that make this film standout and make it feel earnest would be left in the film today.

Those four key factors are:

1) Man is the most dangerous threat creatures face. - It was certainly a refreshing break from today's politics. I mean I'm surprised corporations haven't found a way to make us pay for clean air yet. And don't even get me started on the huge resistance of implementing green energy and technology.

2) Most animals do not live in nuclear familial structure. - In this day and age where a lot of families don't look like a Norman Rockwell painting it's a great little reminder that it's OK and that kids from such families can grow up and become something great.

3) Yes, some animals do actually starve during the winter. Nature is cruel and you need to prepare for life so it isn't as cruel to you.

4) Animals are wild creatures who can and will fight for what is theirs. I was shocked that they actually included Bambi fighting with another male for a potential mate. Props to old Uncle Walt for slipping that in for sure.

Bambi is a great classic animated feature that truly stands the test of time. The gorgeous animation always leaves me in awe. The story always makes my emotion run the gambit from happy to sad to hopeful and everything in between. Honestly, they just don't make like this anymore and that's a shame.

Grade: A+

Aces for (Voice) Acting

• Will Wright

MVP 

• Bambi's mother

Favorite Character

• Flower

Best Character Interactions

• Bambi and his mother

Best Scene

• Bambi watching over his kids and becoming the new Great Prince of the Forest

Notable Quotable

• Friend Owl: [everytime he is woken up] Oh, what now?

Most Memorable Moment
[Bambi sees the butterfly has now gone; he then runs over to a big yellow flower among some other wildflowers]

Young Bambi: Butterfly!

Young Thumper: No, that's a flower.

Young Bambi: Flower?

Young Thumper: Uh-huh, it's purty.

[Thumper smells the flowers]

Young Bambi: Purty.

[Bambi starts smelling the flowers, and comes nose-to-nose with a little skunk]

Young Bambi: Flower!

Young Flower: Me?

Young Thumper: [laughing hysterically] No, no, no, no! That's not a flower! He's a little...

Young Flower: Oh, that's all right. He can call me a flower if he wants to. I don't mind.

Young Bambi: Purty. Purty flower!

Young Flower: Oh...

[he laughs]

Young Flower: Gosh.


Fun Facts

• Bambi was adapted from the book 'Bambi, A Life in the Woods', written by Australian author Felix Salten.
• Although Bambi is considered a classic today, the film was not successful at the box office due to being released during World War II. It lacked access to much of the European market.
• Walt Disney's own daughter Diana has complained to her father that Bambi's mother didn't need to die in the film.
• Bambi received three Academy Award nominations: Best Sound (Sam Slyfield), Best Song (for "Love Is a Song" sung by Donald Novis) and Original Music Score.
• Facing financial difficulty, Disney was forced to slash 12 minutes from Bambi before final animation to save production costs.
• A prequel to the film titled Bambi II was released as a direct-to-video title in 2006. - Never watch it, it's trash.

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Did I whet your appetite to either watch Bambi for the first time or more like the first time in a long time? Be sure to let me know what you love and hate about this Disney classic.

Be sure to come back tomorrow when I discuss Charlotte's Web.

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