NFR Project: 'Bambi' (1942)

 

NFR Project: “Bambi”

Dir: David D. Hand; James Algar. Bill Roberts, Norman Wright, Sam Armstrong, Paul Satterfield, Graham Heid

Scr: Perce Pearce, Larry Morey, George Stallings, Melvin Shaw, Carl Fallberg, Chuck Couch, Ralph Wright

Premiere: Aug. 13, 1942

70 min.

Bambi ruined my life. Can I be any clearer? I hate Bambi. There is nothing objective in my evaluation of this movie.

It’s personal. I was taken to the movie at a very young age (probably the 1966 re-release). You see, dear reader, I was initially lulled by the beauty and the careful craftsmanship that went into this movie and then BAM! They kill Bambi’s mother.

I know, it was offscreen. That somehow makes it worse. I could imagine a far more painful and horrible death for the creature I was already emotionally invested in than any animator could provide. My infantile sense of being safe and cared for was ripped away from by the power of the big screen. I was Traumatized for Life.

Then followed a lot of syrupy-sweet comic interplay among young forest creatures. I wasn’t buying it. I was burned. The juxtaposition of the kid-friendly comedy and stark horror at the edges of the film threw me.

Then his girlfriend is cornered by vicious dogs! Then Bambi gets SHOT! THEN THE FOREST BURNS DOWN! All because of stupid humanity.

You can see why this is not my favorite movie. For me, it was nothing but prime nightmare fuel.

The NFR is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: Casablanca.