Bambi (1942) was supposed to be Disney’s second film, the follow up to Snow White, but the source material was considered too adult and so the project was put on hold for several years. I saw Bambi once before, but I was older and it didn’t have quite the traumatizing effect on me that it seemed to have had for so many others. I still think it’s kind of messed up, though (but I’ll get to that).
- The shots of the forest are great – the layering of the animation cels creates a three-dimensional look that’s almost jarring after the relative flatness of Dumbo. But we already saw this two years ago, in The Reluctant Dragon, where we saw a scene from Bambi being assembled. These movies sure do take a long time to make…
- You will never convince me that the squirrel and the chipmunk aren’t post-coital. The way the chipmunk is curled up asleep under the squirrel’s tail. The way they’re both yawning and smiling so sleepy and contended – they’re practically glowing. We’re not even four minutes in and I’m beginning to see why the source material was considered too adult.
- Bambi’s got gay face.
- So what the hell is the back story with Bambi’s absentee dad? All the other animal families are looking pretty anthropomorphically nuclear, so why does Bambi Senior keep his distance from his kid and his baby momma? She should bring him on Maury and get a paternity test. Make that stag pay some support.
- This movie has probably the least plot of any of the Disney movies so far, and that’s saying something. Sure are a lot of cute baby animals, though. Every time Thumper talks I clench my fists under my chin and open my eyes real wide like I’m a character in a manga.
- The scenes of Bambi having difficulty walking are animated so well I’m sure one of his legs is going to snap.
- “That’s all right. He can call me a flower if he wants to. I don’t mind.” We never learn what Flower the skunk’s real name was – forever after, he’s Flower. He is obviously crushing hard on Bambi, and i can totally identify – I’ve met plenty of guys I was willing to reinvent myself for. “Call me whatever you want, just call me!” Reclaim your name, Flower, and with it your dignity. These things never end well. Trust me. I once spent a whole date pretending I wrote crossword puzzles. I didn’t even get dessert out of it.
- So wait, Bambi’s dad is known as the Great Prince of the Forest just because he’s survived longer than all the other stags? That’s all it takes? The owl looks pretty old, how come he doesn’t get a title? He restrains himself from eating all the cute little chipmunks and bunny rabbits, I think that’s worthy of more respect than just being good at hiding and running and blending in with tree branches.
- Forty minutes of idyllic pastoral tranquility and unbounded animal cuteness and then DEATH DEATH DEATH
- “Come…my son.” Was that supposed to be a surprise? I think we all figured it out when you were standing on the rock acting all cool after Bambi was born. I think even Bambi figured it out before now and he’s slower than a snail on pot. So Bambi goes off with his dad to grow up and learn to not be such a nancy boy and he comes back and proves his manliness – stagliness? – by defeating his rival for Faline’s affections (Is this our first implied threat of rape in a Disney film? Does kissing an unconscious woman count?) and the hunting dogs and a forest fire, and the movie ends with his kids being born and him up on that same damn distant rock with his dad. Faline will be left doing all the work while he goes off to bro off with his pops and get revered by all the forest animals as the Great Prince of Not Dead Yet. Bambi is a wonderful movie but it’s sure got some weird ideas about parenting.
