Movies

Bambi

As the fifth Disney animated movie, Bambi is one of the most popular Disney movies and the last film of Disney’s Golden Age (with Snow White being the first).  While some people might consider it the least controversial of the Golden Age, it was released with controversy when it came out due to the environmental theme; the film also didn’t make much money when it came out (the same thing happened with Pinocchio and Fantasia) but it eventually earned its profit with several re-releases.  I actually did not see the movie until I was older, and I read the book not too long after that.  And I hope others out there love this movie like I do!  Whatever your thoughts I’d love to hear from you!

Bambi (based on an Austrian novel) is about a young deer as he goes on his journey to adulthood with the help of his friends, who are a bunny and a skunk, and is really a coming-of-age film.  This sweet and heartwarming movie puts you in the “shoes” of the forest creatures (so to speak) and gives you a glimpse of what life is like in the wild for animals (even if it is fiction); and overall, it’s about the timeless theme of man vs. nature.  One lesson from the movie is that people should always be kind to animals and respect nature; in the film, people at a campground start a wildfire and the animals have to run away from their habitats because of the fire.  There are some other parts too that might be intense for young kids, such as the famous scene where Bambi’s mother dies. So, I’d caution parents of young kids due to these upsetting scenes.  I find it interesting that the face of the hunter who kills Bambi’s mom is never seen, yet this scene (pun intended) has had a big impact on viewers.  While the movie doesn’t actually show death, the scene with Bambi’s mom is still a very emotional one.  Another lesson that could be learned from this film is the value of friendships, though the friends seem to go their separate ways once they meet their “significant others.”  (It’s too bad this same thing happens in real life too.)  I actually recently read the novel Bambi was based on, Bambi:  A Life in the Woods (which was almost 300 pages).  I will review the book later on but I will give you one fact about it now:  the book was actually banned in parts of the world, and was burned, as people claimed it to be a political allegory on the treatment of the Jewish people in Europe. 

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”

Thumper (Bambi’s bunny friend)

10 Comments

  • J. Charles

    Another well written and insightful review. You taught me a lot about the movie that I never knew. Keep up the great writing.

      • Kay Earp

        This is beautifully written and touches my heart as it did decades ago when my reaction was … tears dropping on my sweet little book “BAMBI”. Your reviews touch my heart as I feel the love and care that you automatically put in your reviews. Please, keep up the great work!!

      • EvangelineFiles

        Thank you for reading and commenting! I would love to hear your thoughts after you’ve seen the movie and read the book again!

  • Elizabeth Denton

    I loved reading your short but Inspiring little recap of this story, keep the good work up!!! Maybe someday you can help me with writing papers for college 😉

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