Realistically, Bambi should probably be called The Death of Childhood Innocence. The emotional scars from watching this seemingly harmless Disney film run deep and painful. Bambi has an idyllic life as a young deer, playing with his forest friends and being doted upon by his loving mother. That is, of course, until hunters (aka the most horrible heartless people on Earth dear God how can you kill a doe and leave a young deer orphaned) ruin everything by fatally shooting his mother. The image of young Bambi curled up next to his dead mother is incredibly painful, and can make the most hardened moviegoer shed a tear. The reason Bambi hits us so hard is because the emotions evoked are something everyone can relate to. Almost everyone has a mother (or some close parental figure) and the idea of them being taken away from us, especially when we're young, is one of the most pervasive fears our society has.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
