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an adorable movie

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no.......bambi's mom died. :'(

Bambi (1942)

Bambi was released yesterday as a Platinum Edition DVD from Disney and it's quite a treat. This movie is classic Disney staple and a popular favorite. For good reason too, as I'm reminded after rewatching the movie.

Based on Felix Salten's novel, which is a good easy read, Bambi is the coming of age story of, well, Bambi. That's really it for the story. You see the fawn soon after its birth all the way to when he takes his father's place as the Great Prince of the forest. What's so wonderful about this film is how it's told, through animation and music.

When I say animation, I mean animation. The movement of the animals are just amazing to watch, from Bambi learning how to walk to Thumper ice skating on a frozen lake. Even the little details like the leaves falling off the branch of a tree is so artistically choreographed that it's pretty and appreciated. It's definitely one of the films that best exemplefies 2D animation, demonstrating what can be achieved in the movement of the characters and objects while incorporating artistry in the product at the same time.

Music is primarily composed by Frank Churchill, who composed the music for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The songs are very simple in melody, but very catchy. "Love is a Song" is just beautiful and my other favorite is "I Bring You A Song" because it's haunting and romantic at the same time. The themes are very simple and have a classical influence, one of the secondary composers having studied under Johann Strauss. It's also very impressionistic because the music follows the animation very closely and will try to sound like the wind at times or the birds, and even the fire at the end of the movie.

Great movie, one that's appreciated by people of all ages and of all types. Definitely one of Disney's best.

I was about halfway through Bambi before I realized what I was doing. Sometime between that moment and when I started the DVD, I wrapped myself up in a blanket with only my face sticking out, and sat crossed legged. When I caught onto what I was doing, I was reminded of my youth, when I would sit just like that watching movies like this.

There is no denying that Bambi is a classic film. Just about everyone knows the movies memorable moments, and should know at least some of the characters. It is one of those rare films, like The Wizard of Oz, that transcends generations, and still maintains its original awe and wonder.

The amazing thing about seeing this movie again, is how much I never noticed how mature the story is. To me, the movie was about life in general. There are moments of happiness, moments of utter sadness and heartbreak, and moments where nothing else matters but the fields before you.

But this movie does something different from what most movies would do today. This movie knows it has a message behind it, but it doesn't feel the need to cram it down your throat. Instead, we watch as these characters learn these lessons for themselves. And in return, we learn as well.

I like movies that are more character driven, then movies that have things happen just so the plot keeps moving. My Neighbor Totoro, which for some reason I kept thinking of while watching this, manages to do the same thing. Instead of a problem looming overhead, we just see characters in their everyday life.

I know some may say that there is "Man" in Bambi, and that is the villain of the movie. I agree. But this isn't a constant threat throughout the film. There is no climatic battle between man and beast. There is no resolution, because "Man" will always be around. Just like in real life, problems always loom around the corner. We just have to do our best to deal with them when they hit us.

I'm probably rambling, and I'm sorry. So I'll begin to wrap this up. Bambi is a classic film that deserves to be seen by every child through the rest of time. With so much American animation painting a horrible image of what cartoons could be, it's refreshing to see that masterpieces like Bambi can still captivate after all this time.

Okay, so I broke down and got Bambi for Mikey. I was actually tearing up when Bambi's mom got killed. OMG The scene where Bambi's dad comes to his son in the snowstorm and says, "Your mother won't be with you anymore."

The part where I get to rot in hell is where I lied to my son. When Bambi's mom tells him to run to the thicket and you hear the shot, Mikey turns to me and says, "Mommy, where's Bambi's mom?" I said, "The hunters caught her." So when Don comes home, Mikey says, "Dad, the hunters catch'd Bambi's mom and took her away." Well, I wasn't too far off.

The part that I just don't get is the scene where the animals are all running from the hunters. I get it when the pheasants are trying not to fly and one takes off and then you see feathers flying. But then the forest erupts with gunfire and all heck breaks loose. Now, what kind of hunters are out there? An NRA convention?? Rogue hunter?? When my husband goes hunting he either takes a shotgun and hunts for birds OR he takes a rifle and hunts for deer. If he's out in western Kansas bird hunting and a buck saunters across the prairie, he's not about to take a shot at it with his bird gun... I just don't get it.

Well, now that I've written this twice (dumb computer failure) I'm going to go and finish reading Hattie and the Fox to Mikey. Night all.

Why You Should See This Movie:
It is always difficult to review a film from a long time ago, so my critique of this film is intended to be as if I was seeing the film at the time of release. With that in mined, the animation was very impressive for the early 1940's. The film is very beautiful with great depictions of the forest and the changing of the seasons. The film is entertaining not only for young kids, but for adults as well. The story is a classic Disney tale that has good moral lessons and entertaining music.

Why You Shouldn't See This Movie:
As a classic Disney film, there isn't much reason not to watch this new DVD release unless you have some bizarre animosity for animated films.

Conclusion:
Bambi is a classic Disney film that has impressive animation and a great worthwhile story that will entertain adults in addition to their children.

My favorite Disney animated feature and the first that I ever saw. I do wonder though if today's kids will be bored by it. It still brought tears to my eyes. Great DVD!! One of the best films from the 40's. Flower is my favorite character.

Late last night after finishing up with "Kramer Vs Kramer", I decided to watch the new "Bambi" DVD I got, a movie I hadn't seen in ages. Once again the opinion was mixed but leaning more on the good side. My criticism for disney movies has always been "why do they ALWAYS have to kill one or two of the parents?", this being no exception. I used to have nightmares about Bambi's mother dying when I was little!

My new viewing did however let me understand the movie better. "Bambi" is all about the stages of life and the life cycle of animals. It also shows the cruelty of human beings towards animals (i'm an animal rights activist!) and how hard life is for those poor creatures always having to hide from us. Of course there are always the good parts with the romance and the fun times, but someone like me always remembers the bad. The movie is gorgeous with the new digital remastering... the bunnies' fur is lush, the storm is vibrant and loud and everything is quite simply magical. It's sad though that kid's will only be able to see the good and will have to wait so long to see the hidden messages of this film's plot. Please stop the hunting!