Bambi (1942)

Praises its classic status, ecological message, and balance of naturalism and cartoonery, noting the memorable mother’s death scene.

The critic calls it a beautiful, timeless film about innocence lost and knowledge gained, highlighting its quiet, subtle illustration of life's cycles including death, with gorgeous watercolor backdrops and universal themes. He notes the shocking offscreen death of Bambi's mother but finds the overall tone reassuring and transcendent.

The critic calls Bambi an ambitious natural-world opus that uses cute moments to ground stunning impressionistic backgrounds and expressionistic colour bursts, singling out the emotional power and restraint of the mother's death scene alongside the film's mastery of shifting tones.

The 1942 film stands out for communicating through visual imagery rather than dialogue in a story of a young deer coming of age. It ranks as the most atmospheric Disney feature thanks to its impressionistic backgrounds and endearing characters like Thumper.

The critic finds the film enchanting and praises Disney's animation of the forest and animals, particularly Thumper, while noting some frightening scenes and the absence of humans as a strength.

The critic identifies Bambi as the subtlest and most affecting of Walt Disney's early hand-drawn features from 1937-42. It is described as an enduring masterpiece that is witty and moving, capturing the fears and hopes of second world war audiences while celebrating the cycle of nature.

The story is full of tenderness with characters that tickle the heart; Thumper steals the picture. The interplay of color and movement shines especially in the seasonal sequences, reaching new heights in storm depictions.

The critic views the film as a timeless visual feast of innocence gained and lost, praising its majestic imagery and lyrical treatment of generational evolution and natural life cycles. He notes a thin thematic focus compared to other Disney classics but finds its restrained, poetic approach to life's rhythms admirable and relevant.

The writer reflects on watching the re-released film with family members across two viewings, praising its handling of themes including co-operation, love, loss and man as destroyer, as well as its disciplined treatment of the mother's death.

The film captures much of the fantasy and visual beauty of the source story but disappoints by straying into overly realistic naturalism instead of pure cartoon fantasy. The critic singles out the startling beauty and inventive humor for praise while noting excessive charm and violence in the narrative.

The review highlights the splendid animation from Disney's rich period, blending impressionistic forest scenes with anthropomorphic animal characters reminiscent of Fantasia.

Walt Disney's adaptation has much of the appeal of his prior features but the characterizations and comedy fall slightly short, with too much conversation. The color and scenery are up to standard, and it is positioned more strictly as a children's picture.

The critic calls Bambi a timeless masterpiece whose universal appeal and empathetic portrayal of nature have allowed it to endure. The animation, particularly the watercolor backgrounds, is singled out as the finest achievement in cinema animation.

The critic calls it a wonderful story that brings a tiny tear to the eye even of a cynic. They single out its staggering step forward in animation with no peer at the time, along with its defined cartoon cuteness and pathos.

The piece positions Bambi as a quiet, beautiful, and pastoral coming-of-age story that is close to Disney as arthouse while still appealing to children. It singles out the kid-traumatizing death of Bambi’s mom as its biggest talking point but notes the film’s merits go far beyond that, with an experimentally episodic narrative and greater sense of humanity.