Bambi (1942)
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A young deer navigates the perils of the wild and the loss of his mother in this classic coming-of-age tale.
The story
Deep in the forest, a doe gives birth to a male fawn named Bambi, who is destined to become the Great Prince of the Forest. Bambi grows up closely bonded to his mother while befriending a rabbit named Thumper, a skunk named Flower, and a female deer named Faline. While his mother teaches him about the dangers of the wild, Bambi remains curious about the world around him. The peaceful life of the forest is threatened by the presence of 'Man,' a mysterious and dangerous figure. After a close encounter with a hunter, Bambi must learn to navigate the complexities of survival in the wilderness.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Bambi, a fawn born in the forest, is raised by his mother and mentored by the Great Prince of the Forest. He forms close bonds with Thumper the rabbit, Flower the skunk, and Faline. The peace of the forest is disrupted when 'Man' appears; during a frantic escape, Bambi's mother is tragically killed by a hunter. Left alone, Bambi is taken in by the Great Prince, who reveals himself as his father. As the years pass, Bambi matures into a buck and eventually falls in love with Faline, despite the interference of a rival stag named Ronno. The story culminates in a tense confrontation with hunters and a devastating forest fire. Amidst the chaos, Bambi is separated from Faline and nearly captured by hunting dogs, but he survives. The film concludes in the following spring, where Faline gives birth to twins under the watchful eye of Bambi, now the new Great Prince of the Forest.
- First release year
- 1942
- Runtime (minutes)
- 70
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David D. Hand; James Algar; Bill Roberts; Norman Wright; Sam Armstrong; Paul Satterfield; Graham Heid
- Writers
- Perce Pearce · story; Larry Morey · story; George Stallings · story; Melvin Shaw · story; Carl Fallberg · story; Chuck Couch · story; Ralph Wright · story
- Cast and characters
- Donnie Dunagan · Bambi; Bobby Stewart · Baby Bambi; Hardie Albright · Adolescent Bambi; John Sutherland · Adult Bambi; Peter Behn · Thumper; Tim Davis · Adolescent Thumper; Sam Edwards · Young Adult Thumper; Paula Winslowe · Bambi's Mother and the Pheasant; Stan Alexander · Flower; Tim Davis · Adolescent Flower; Sterling Holloway · Young Adult Flower; Will Wright · Friend Owl
- Genres
- animated; coming-of-age; drama
- Themes
- coming-of-age; nature conservation; loss; survival
- Tone and mood
- poignant; realistic
- Premise and plot tags
- animal protagonists; nature; no humans
- Source material / true-story basis
- Felix Salten's 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods
- Reception
- Initially met with mixed reviews due to its lack of fantasy and realistic portrayal of nature, it is now widely acclaimed as a masterpiece of animation.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 91% · scale: percentage · review count: 55
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Sound · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Song · Nomination; Academy Award · Original Music Score · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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