Bambi




Bir-duh!

A new fawn, the young prince of the woods, is born. He is named Bambi (Bobby Stewart), and we follow as he learns about the world around him. He makes friends with other creatures of the forest, especially a rabbit called Thumper (Peter Behn). He also meets a pretty fawn, Faline (Cammie King). All the while he is under the loving care of his mother (Paula Winslowe).

Bambi is a very simple and straightforward film. It celebrates the wonders in the world, especially in youth. Bambi learns all about the cycle of life. You know, the essentials: friends, love, death, etc. The movie remains expertly focused on this, as it moves smoothly from scene to scene. There's him learning to walk, then to talk and so on. The audience is pulled along with Bambi as we discover the various creatures and marvels of the wood. But that doesn't mean everything is all clover and lilies, as man (the only bad force in the movie) intrudes into the forest with guns and fire.

This is a Disney film full of beautiful animation and stirring music. From the colors of the changing seasons and moods to the wonderful 'Little April Shower' piece, everything perfectly mixes to create a truly magical setting. Even when things look like they're going to get sappy, it turns out for the better. Like when Bambi is "walking on air," the mood is suddenly cut short with a great scene. The animals also benefit from life-like animation. We often take short breaks from the story to see amusing bits with them. The entire forest hums with a life of its own, which is quite an achievement by itself.

The charm of the film is its ease in making memorable scenes out of the smallest things. Who can forget when Thumper yells, "Watch what I can do!" as he slides across the ice? Thumper is actually quite the scene-stealer, though they all lose a good deal of their appeal when they grow up.

Bambi is full of emotion and humor set in a classic tale of a little deer growing up. This was Disney's favorite movie, and it is unlikely you will forget it anytime soon. It so skillfully speaks to the part of us that longs for that time when things were so much more innocent and simple.



-The Gnome