Bambi (1942)
Based on the 1923 book Bambi, a Life in the Woods by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten.
Intro song (“Love Is a Song”). A doe gives birth to a fawn named Bambi, who will one day take over the position of Great Prince of the Forest, a title currently held by Bambi's father, who guards the woodland creatures against the dangers of hunters known as “Man”. The fawn is quickly befriended by an eager, energetic rabbit named Thumper, who helps to teach him to walk and speak. Bambi grows up very attached to his mother, with whom he spends most of his time. He soon makes other friends, including a young skunk he mistakenly calls "Flower"; the skunk is so flattered he keeps the name.
Transitioning into the next season (“Little April Shower”), Bambi meets a female fawn named Faline. One day out in a meadow, Bambi briefly sees The Great Prince but does not realize that he is his father. As the Great Prince wanders uphill, he discovers that "Man" is coming and rushes down to the meadow to get everyone to safety. Bambi is briefly separated from his mother during that time but is escorted to her by the Great Prince as the three of them make it back in the forest just as Man fires his gun.
During Bambi's first winter, he and Thumper play in the snow while Flower hibernates. One day his mother takes him along to find food when Man shows up again. As they escape, his mother is shot and killed by the hunter, leaving the young Bambi mournful and alone. The Great Prince leads Bambi home as he reveals to him that he is his father. Next year, Bambi has matured into a young stag, and his childhood friends have also entered young adulthood (“Let’s Sing a Gay Little Spring Song”). They are warned of "twitterpation" by Friend Owl and that they will eventually fall in love, although the trio views the concept of romance with scorn. However, Thumper and Flower soon encounter their beautiful romantic counterparts and abandon their former thoughts on love. Bambi himself encounters Faline as a beautiful doe. Their courtship is quickly interrupted and challenged by a stag named Ronno, who attempts to force Faline away from Bambi. Bambi successfully manages to defeat Ronno in battle and earn the rights to the doe's affections (“Looking for Romance [I Bring You a Song]”).
Bambi is awakened afterward by the smell of smoke; he follows it and discovers a hunter camp. His father warns Bambi that Man has returned with more hunters. Man begins hunting through the woods as Bambi attempts to return to Faline. He soon finds her cornered by Man's vicious hunting dogs, which he manages to ward off. Bambi escapes them and is shot by Man, but survives. Meanwhile, at the hunter’s camp, their campfire suddenly spreads into the forest, resulting in a wildfire from which the forest residents flee in fear. Bambi, his father, Faline, and the forest animals manage to reach shelter on a riverbank. The following spring, Faline gives birth to twins under Bambi's watchful eye as the new Great Prince of the Forest (“Love Is A Song”).
TRIVIA
Visual Style
Although the animators had animated deer in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney wanted to the animals in Bambi to be more realistic and expressive. He brought in live animals including rabbits, ducks, owls, skunks, and fawns to the studio so the animators could study their movements.
The impressionistic backgrounds were designed by Tyrus Wong and inspired by the Eastern American woodlands including Vermont and Maine forests. They had more detail around the center and less around the edges, thus leading a viewer’s eye to the characters.
Deleted Scene(s)
A deleted scene involves the last two leaves on a tree in autumn who, like an old married couple, bid farewell to their lives together. It was decided that a dialogue between two leaves wouldn’t fit in the context of the story and all that remains in the film is a visual of their parting.
Notable Scene(s)
The death of Bambi’s mother