Bambi

This article is about the 1942 Walt Disney film. For other uses, see Bambi (disambiguation).

The death of Bambi's mother

Like the majority of Walt Disney's feature-length animated narratives, Bambi embraces both joy and tragedy. Bambi is a movie that alternates frequently between these two extremes, with the one typically being used to set-up the other. For instance, the joy of Bambi's first walk through the forest is interrupted by a frightening thunderstorm. His first visit to the meadow is joyful until it is interrupted by hunters who fire upon Bambi and his mother and father.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The seminal scene in the movie involves Bambi's mother and her death at the hands of off-screen hunters. In the sequence, we see the use of the joy/tragedy motif used again. The scene is set in late winter, and Bambi and his mother struggle to find food as mournful music plays. Joy is felt as they discover a patch of new grass, signalling the arrival of Spring. As they feast, the mood changes again, and we hear Man approach off-screen, represented only by his theme music (a low, three-note motif). Bambi's mother suddenly catches Man's scent, and orders her child to run, but she is too late. As they flee across the snow field, a shot rings out. The camera stays with young Bambi as he runs through the forest, finally stopping to catch his breath. He notices at this time (as does the audience) that his mother is nowhere to be seen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In a series of heartbreaking dissolves, Bambi wanders desperately through the forest calling for her, but no answer comes. Bambi is startled by the sudden appearance of his father, the Great Prince, who tells him that his mother cannot be with him any more. Bambi casts his head to the ground, and when he lifts it again, we see he is crying, realizing what has happened. Bambi follows his father into the forest, taking one last look back as he leaves his childhood and innocence behind.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The death of Bambi's mother is one of the most famous moments in American animation, a moment so upsetting to certain children that they had to be carried screaming out of the theater during Bambi's numerous theatrical presentations. For this reason, and because of the horror and violence of the climactic hunting/forest fire sequence, many critics question the suitability of Bambi as a film appropriate for very young audiences. When one takes Bambi together with the other Disney feature films created during the same period of the early 40's, such as the dark Pinocchio, the powerful Fantasia, and the serious Victory Through Air Power, one can see an attempt by Walt Disney to produce films pushing against the stereotype of Disney animation as "children's films".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Additional Notes:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The use of implied violence by an unseen threat, expressed solely through music (a low three-note, repeating musical motif), were powerful psychological techniques Steven Spielberg later famously adopted in Jaws (1975).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The death of Bambi's mother has been named by Americans in polls as the saddest scene in film history.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The off-screen character of "Man" has been named one of the 100 Greatest Screen Villains by the American Film Institute.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In an early draft of the screenplay for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it was intended to reveal that Judge Doom was the person who killed Bambi's mother. However, the Disney company discarded the idea, feeling the association inappropriate.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~