Brother Bear (2003)
A Disney original story.
In a post-ice age Alaska, the local tribes believe all creatures are created through the Great Spirits, who are said to appear in the form of an aurora.
Intro song (“Great Spirits”). A trio of brothers, Kenai, the youngest; Denahi, the middle; and Sitka, the eldest, return to their tribe in order for Kenai to receive his totem, necklaces in the shapes of different animals. The particular animals they represent symbolize what they must achieve to call themselves men and get their handprint on the wall. Unlike Sitka, who gained the eagle of guidance, and Denahi, who gained the wolf of wisdom, Kenai receives the bear of love from Tanana, the shaman of his tribe. He objects to his totem, stating that bears are thieves, and believes his point is made a fact when a brown bear steals their basket of salmon. Kenai and his brothers pursue the bear, but a fight ends on top of a glacier, during which Sitka gives his life to save his brothers by dislodging the glacier, although the bear survives the fall. After Sitka's funeral, an enraged Kenai blames the bear for Sitka's death. He hunts down and chases the bear up onto a rocky cliff, fighting and eventually slaying it. The Spirits, represented by Sitka's spirit in the form of a bald eagle, arrive and transform Kenai into a bear after the dead bear's body evaporates and joins them. Denahi arrives and, falsely believing that Kenai was killed by the bear from earlier, vows to avenge Kenai by hunting it down. Kenai falls down some rapids, survives, and is healed by Tanana. She does not speak the bear language, but advises him to return to the “mountain where the lights touch the earth” to find Sitka and be turned back to a human, but only when he atones for his actions; she vanishes without an explanation.
Kenai quickly discovers that the wildlife can now speak to him, meeting a pair of moose brothers named Rutt and Tuke. He gets caught in a trap, but is freed by an outgoing bear cub named Koda. They make a deal: Kenai will escort Koda to an annual salmon run and then the cub will lead Kenai to the mountain. The two are hunted by Denahi, who is still determined to avenge Kenai, unaware that the bear he is pursuing is actually Kenai himself. Koda reveals that he was separated from his mother who went missing. Rutt and Tuke join Kenai and Koda revealing that Denahi is likely following their tracks so they ride on the backs of mammoths to evade Denahi. Along the way the two eventually form a brother-like relationship (“On My Way”). Eventually, Kenai and Koda reach the salmon run, where a large number of bears live as a family, including the leader Tug (“Welcome”). Kenai accepts his new surroundings and is comfortable living with the other bears. During a discussion among the bears, Koda tells a story about his mother recently fighting human hunters on a glacier, reminding Kenai of his and his brothers' fight with the bear that led to Sitka's death, making him realize that the bear he killed was Koda's mother.
Horrified of what he has done, Kenai runs away in a fit of guilt, but Koda soon follows him. Downhearted, Kenai confesses the truth to Koda, who runs away, grief-stricken that Kenai was responsible for his mother's death out of avenging Sitka (“No Way Out”). An apologetic Kenai leaves to reach the mountain. Meanwhile, Rutt and Tuke, having had a falling-out, reconcile in front of Koda, prompting him to forgive Kenai. On the mountain, Kenai is cornered by Denahi, but their battle is interrupted by Koda, who steals Denahi's spear. Kenai sacrifices himself for Koda, out of love, prompting Sitka to appear and turn him back into a human, much to Denahi and Koda's surprise. However, upon realizing that Koda needs him because of his own mistake, Kenai asks Sitka to transform him back into a bear with Denahi's support. Sitka complies, and Kenai is transformed back into a bear. Koda is reunited briefly with the spirit of his mother before she and Sitka return to the spirit world. In the end, Kenai lives with the rest of the bears and gains his title as a man, through being a bear (“Look Through My Eyes”).
TRIVIA
The film initially starts out with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.75:1 however after Kenai transforms into a bear (@ 24 min), the aspect ratio transforms to an anamorphic aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and towards brighter, more fanciful colors and slightly more caricatured art direction.
Visual Style
Artist had to do a life drawing session with live bear cubs and also outdoor drawing and painting sessions at Fort Wilderness in Florida three times a week for two months.
The backgrounds team traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and studied with Western landscape painter Scott Christensen, where they learned to simplify objects by getting the spatial dimensions to work first and working in the detail later.
Music
The song “Transformation” was written by Phil Collins, translated into Innuit with the help of a native speaker and professor from Alaska, and sung by The Bulgarian Women’s Choir.