Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1980 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-02-14
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 69 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
It always comes up when people are comparing their most traumatic movie experiences: "the death of Bambi's mother," a recollection that can bring a shudder to even the most jaded filmgoer. That primal separation (which is no less stunning for happening off-screen) is the centerpiece of Bambi, Walt Disney's 1942 animated classic, but it is by no means the only bold stroke in the film. In its swift but somehow leisurely 69 minutes, Bambi covers a year in the life of a young deer. But in a bigger way, it measures the life cycle itself, from birth to adulthood, from childhood's freedom to grown-up responsibility. All of this is rendered in cheeky, fleet-footed style--the movie doesn't lecture, or make you feel you're being fed something that's good for you. The animation is miraculous, a lush forest in which nature is a constantly unfolding miracle (even in a spectacular fire, or those dark moments when "man was in the forest"). There are probably easier animals to draw than a young deer, and the Disney animators set themselves a challenge with Bambi's wobbly glide across an ice-covered lake, his spindly legs akimbo; but the sequence is effortless and charming. If Bambi himself is just a bit dull--such is the fate of an Everydeer--his rabbit sidekick Thumper and a skunk named Flower more than make up for it. Many of the early Disney features have their share of lyrical moments and universal truths, but Bambi is so simple, so pure, it's almost transparent. You might borrow a phrase from Thumper and say it's downright twitterpated. --Robert Horton

Synopsis
In Disney's spectacularly animated forest fable, a fawn named Bambi is born, destined to become Prince of the Forest. He soon befriends other woodland creatures such as Flower, a bashful skunk, and Thumper, an outgoing rabbit. As the years pass, they encounter a number of life's lessons in the woods, including the death of Bambi's mother at the hands of hunters. Eventually, Bambi comes of age, completing the cycle of life and taking his father's place. Based on the classic novel by Felix Salten, Bambi demonstrates the strength of family values and camaraderie. Director David Hand adds a mixture of great songs and life-like backgrounds to make this early Disney film an unforgettable film classic for all ages.

Customer Reviews

Dear Deer
Bambi by today's standards of scripting and animation can all too easily be dismissed as a naïve, cutesy Disney standard from a bygone era. However, it survives as a master class in animated film, a major influence on all that came after it, and without any doubt a masterpiece of its time. To demonstrate, here are the three major ingredients in an animated film - animation, story and music...

The animation is flawless, the character design impeccable, the backgrounds works of art. The fire, water and snow effects today would be credited to a Pentium Processor near you, but in Bambi's day were all lovingly crafted by pen and brush, and stand up admirably in direct comparison. The dreamlike variation of shades to convey moods and emotions is yet more artistic insight that soon became the norm.

Bambi's narrative might seem simple and linear today, but the basic values have been recycled by many modern animated classics. A young creature, son of the king, loses a parent, falls in love with a childhood friend, survives a fire in his homeland before rising to the top, fathering the next generation and completing the circle of life. Replace the B with an S and transpose the vowels... fluke? I think not.

Finally, and this is what is most criminally overlooked about Bambi, the music is utterly beautiful. It is quite possibly the best soundtrack in any Disney film. Disney regulars Plumb and Churchill and have made some wonderful music but this must be some of the best and most credible in its own right. If you like Tchaikovsy, it is worth buying this film just for the music; maybe even Stravinsky-lite by the end. The songs interspersing the orchestral score are truly uplifting and memorable - try getting April Showers out of your head in a hurry. The icing on the cake is the immaculate synchronisation with the animation, the way every note coincides with a footfall, a tail wag, a drop of rain; it must have been a painstaking labour of love.

Once you have collected all the Fliks, Nemos, Sullys and Woodys of this world on DVD, don't forget spare a few bob for dear old Bambi. This disc, with typically convincing Special Edition extras, is the one to buy.

You're never too old to cry
No matter how tough or cold hearted you are this movie is bound to touch you in some way. Cute cuddly characters that make you laugh (A macho rabbit, A skunk with a little bit of gender confusion and a naive deer). Each character brings something to the film but when making this film disney had no idea how many issues they would touch upon. It deals with the problems of growing up and dealing with loss. It also shows us the implication that hunting has from Bambi's point of view. The film is about survival and carrying on in the face of such devestating tragedy when he loses his mother at a young age. The DVD is brilliant under special features you even get a sneak peek at the new bambi film which carries on from when Bambi and his father dissapear into the snow filled trees. This is one of the best DVD's ever and if it's possible it's even better now than it was when it came out on VHS. Bambi is the most amazing creation ever and I am grateful to the person who came up with this concept. This film still has the power to make me cry. If you haven't bought it yet i suggest you do so immediately as it will be the most important film you ever own. The best film ever made period.

Fantastic animation beautifully restored.
Bambi: the most beautifully drawn and well-told animation Disney has ever produced. Understandibly, Walt Disney himself was proud of this feature the most. The timeless themes of birth, survival, development into adulthood, love, death and Man's relationship with animals/ the environment are presented without pulling any punches. Set against the visually stunning backdrop of the four seasons in the forest, the extra material on the DVD gives a wonderful insight into the artistry of the animators and how much they achieved (all without computers). 'The Old Mill' (an animated short included on disc 2) is a gem, a masterclass in creating atmospheres and character in a very short space of time. The voices are perfect and although not supplied by superstars the characters are so believable and touching the animals really do appear to "speak". The orchestral and choral music swells and recedes in all the right places. Anyone watching this classic would have to have a stone for a heart not to be mesmerized and moved. Satisfying and very sincere.