April Showers: Bambi 80th Anniversary
In 1923, author Felix Salten would publish his book, Bambi.
Little did he know that 19 years after its publishing, it would be adapted into an excellent animated film about life, struggle, death, and rebirth.
Beginnings
Ten years after the book was written, Sidney Franklyn, who had produced and directed films at MGM, purchased the film rights. At first, he was going to adapt it into a live-action film. But eventually, in 1937, Franklyn decided that the story would be better suited as an animated film by Walt Disney.
After Walt read the book, he knew this was a film he wanted to make. But he knew it would not be easy.
Story
As is the case of amazing animated films, the story is very important. With Bambi, it would prove to be a challenge. This was because the basic story is about the circle of life.
There were a lot of ideas that were drawn for the movie but were cut because they didn’t add anything to the story. What it came down to is the film would be very character driven.
Animation
What made Bambi stand out from the other early Disney movies was its attempt to capture the spirit of nature. Walt knew that the character animation would be the toughest assignment for his animators. Thus he put some of his most accomplished artists to supervise the animation.
The animators included Frank Thomas, Milt Kahl, Ollie Johnston, and Mark Davis. But despite their artistic skill, this project was quite a chore to get done.
First, the animators brought in real deer to study their movement and behavior in order to capture their essence.
Then Mark Davis was able to draw sketches that applied human expressions to the deer’s face. And Milt Kahl boiled it to the design seen in the final film.
Art Direction
Another aspect of the movie that makes it stand out is the look of it. The style was done by a Chines artist named Tyrus Wong.
Tyrus came to Disney in the 1930s and worked as an in-betweener for some time. But after he showed his paintings to studio artist, Tom Condrick, Tyrus was given the chance to design the world of Bambi.
What Tyrus’ art style brought to the film was one that was simple yet stylized. It was a style that made the audience feel as if they could feel the forest.
Music
Just like the art direction was simple, the music also reflects that simplicity. But it also compliments the action. For example, the music theme for the hunters is three chords that give a sense of danger.
The songs are also fascinating because they aren’t sung by the characters. Instead, they are sung by an off-screen chorus.
Release
Despite beginning production in 1937, Bambi wouldn’t be released until five years later. This was because the animation for the film was so difficult that it needed time to finish. The production time of the film proved to be a very troubling time at Disney.
First was the failure of Pinocchio and Fantasia. Then there was the strike of 1941. And lastly was World War II which started in Europe and then the U.S. got involved after the attack of Pearl Harbor.
Believe it or not, Bambi lost money on its release because of the war. But over time, it would make a profit thanks to its releases starting in 1947.
Not only that, the movie would become one of the most cherished animated films ever made.
This is because of the strength of the story and characters and its powerful emotional heart. And years after its release, it would continue to inspire later films, including The Lion King.