Review #1,073: 'Bambi' (1942)

When Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released back in 1937, Walt Disney proved not only that there was vast commercial potential in animation, but that it was also a credible art-form. Disney, the great innovator, toyed with surrealism in Pinocchio and created a sublime blend of music, dance and visual splendour in Fantasia, both released in 1940. With Bambi, Disney observed the quiet balance of the natural world and the troubling emergence of man. While it may contain an ensemble of cutesy talking animals with kids' voices and scenes that will have you saying "awww!" out loud, Bambi is pretty heavy stuff at times.

We begin with the birth of a young prince, the wide-eyed, white-tailed deer Bambi (Donnie Dunagan), and while this opening may ring a bell with anyone who has seen The Lion King (1994) - which is everybody - Bambi is not near-mythical royalty with a destiny laid out for him. He is viewed with extreme curiosity by the other woodland animals, including enthusiastic young rabbit Thumper (Peter Behn), and they giggle as they watch the awkward deer try to stand up. As his protective mother teaches him of the dangers of the forest, his new friends teach him how to leap over fallen trees and ice-skate. Bambi doesn't so much have a plot with a beginning, a middle and an end. Instead, it's simply a portrayal of life, and the discovery, learning and danger we all come to face.

The seasons change along with the film's tone and Bambi's increasing maturity, and the colder it gets, the closer you get to that scene. A few near-misses practically confirm that the doting mother isn't going to be around for long, but the moment still packs a punch even on repeat viewings. Brutally, the incident happens off-camera, and Bambi is informed of her death matter-of-factly by his stoic father. It's an incredibly brave and creative approach, and one that deals with the harshness of real life with incredible maturity. It also sums up Bambi perfectly - observational, unpatronising and thoughtful - but it will certainly warm your heart as well. Disney is frequently criticised for sugar-coating and over-simplifying our world, but I would point anyone in the direction of the corporation's earlier works, particularly Bambi, for elevating animation to a cinematic art-form.


Directed by: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, David Hand, Graham Heid, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Norman Wright
Voices: Hardie Albright, Donnie Dunagan, Paula Winslowe
Country: USA

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie

Review #745: 'Dumbo' (1941)

Made to recoup on the financial losses caused by the commercially unsuccessful Pinocchio and Fantasia (both 1940), Dumbo is one of Disney's shortest and narratively simplistic works to date. Ironically, it's also one of their finest. With Disney's 'nine old men' working on other projects to hopefully re-vamp the studios financial prospects, Dumbo was developed by Dick Huemer and Joe Grant, two of Disney's founding fathers, who took an unconventional approach to adapting the story from Helen Aberson's children's story. Written almost like a book, the film's charm and appeal lies in it's no frills approach.

There's no heavy-handed morality message, just a simple tale about a cute elephant with a physical affliction trying to get by in a world that will not accept him. In fact, away from Jumbo Jr., cruelly dubbed 'Dumbo' by some unsavoury elephants, and his only friend in the world Timothy Q. Mouse (Edward Brophy), Dumbo's world is full of unkindness. The faceless men who run the travelling circus Dumbo is apart of, do little but hammer and build with a depressing resignation. The other elephants, apart from Mrs. Jumbo (Verna Felton), refuse to accept him due to his comically large ears, and do everything to ridicule and exile him. There's no moment of realisation for these characters, just a satisfying pay-back.

It's strange that this is rarely mentioned as one of Disney's finest. Perhaps it's the lack of musical numbers or the use of silent-era slapstick and facial humour as opposed to the usual quipping sidekick. But for me, this enhances the enjoyment, putting more focus on the wonderful animation, and reducing the story down to something we can all relate to. Much has been said about the crows encountered by Dumbo towards the end of the film, and their racial stereotyping. I will not deny that some of Disney's early output do leave a nasty taste in the mouth, but, in fact, the crows are part of a select few who are sympathetic to Dumbo's plight, and Dumbo feels too innocent to be accused of such. And it's in this innocence that lies the magic, something that was lost once Disney came out of it's Golden Era.


Directed by: Samuel Armstrong, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen
Voices: Edward Brophy, Verna Felton, Sterling Holloway, Cliff Edwards
Country: USA

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie