Carl Roberts 
“Bambi: A Tale Of Life In The Woods is a fantastic live-action version of the classic tale. It warms the heart while astounding with its visuals.”
Everybody knows and loves Bambi. The classic tale of the newborn deer and his journey through childhood to his becoming king of the forest is a tale that has stood the test of time and continues to enchant children and adults alike to this day. Everyone knows and loves the superb Disney animated version, myself included. I still remember seeing it for the first time. Marvelling at the tale I was seeing on the screen, as well as the tears that I shed when Bambi’s mother was shot. It remains a favourite of mine, even though I’m now in my fifties!
Dazzler Media has released a new version of the tale. This live-action version, Bambi: A Tale Of Life In The Woods, isn’t a remake of the animated version. Instead, it is the tale presented to us without dialogue (save for a narration) and sees the characters brought to life by real-life animals. Films of this sort can go either way. They can either be a bad remake of a classic story or they could be something that warms the heart, leaving the audience spellbound. Thankfully, this film is the latter.
PREMISE
The life of Bambi, a male roe deer, from his birth through childhood. The loss of his mother, the finding of a mate, and the lessons he learns from his father. And the experience he gains about the dangers posed by human hunters in the forest.
THOUGHTS
The film is terrific in every respect. It takes Felix Salten’s novel and creates a moving, charming and adorable film from the start. The film is a French-language live-action film, Bambi, l’histoire d’une vie dans les bois. Directed and written by Michel Fessler, with the French narration overdubbed by an English-language substitute. The essence is all here, the characters we know and love (even though only Bambi has a name in the film), and everything we would expect. Without the characters speaking, we could be watching a true-life nature documentary. It does sometimes come across that way. But this doesn’t distract us from what we are seeing on the screen.
From the moment we first see the little prince, we are in love. We don’t get to witness his birth, but we join him almost immediately after he has been brought into the world. From this point, we are hardly ever out of his company as we follow his journey from a young male roe deer through to his fourth year when he becomes the king of the forest. Along the way, we meet his friends Thumper, Flower (in this version, a raccoon), the wise owl and a rather clever crow. With the addition of his mother and father, who look majestic, the story is here for us to marvel at. And marvel at it, we do. It is stunning in every respect.
THE LOOK OF THE FILM
The film looks incredible. The vibrance of the forest, the rich colours and patchwork it contains are brought to life in stunning clarity. Even in some of the darker scenes, set at night or even in a snowy winter, the images shine through wonderfully. The creatures are beautiful to behold, and their beauty is matched by the incredible scenery we see. We see every ripple of the pond, every movement of the fish swimming beneath the surface. And the frogs are swimming across its surface. Every insect we see dazzles us, and every bird, especially the stunning Kingfisher, catches our eye. Even when a snake appears early on—though not one of my favourite creatures—it captivates us with its beauty. But it is Bambi we are here to see and look at, and he doesn’t disappoint.
The way the film has been shot, we see every hair that forms Bambi’s pelt, every marking he has and so on. With his mother, father and the rest of the deer, the entire animal kingdom on show here looks flawless. It is truly a masterpiece of filmmaking from Michel Fessler. The way he captures these animals, while making them the focal point of his take on the tale, cannot be understated. It sometimes feels like a nature documentary while also holding firm to the tale we hold in our hearts. Although we know how the story will end, we still feel apprehensive, almost like we don’t want to see these creatures hurt or hunted. Even though it’s not reality, we find ourselves shouting at them to run and hide. And, although we don’t see it, the death of Bambi’s mother is haunting in this version. Tissues are still required.
VERDICT
Bambi: A Tale Of Life In The Woods is a fantastic live-action version of the classic tale. It warms the heart while astounding with its visuals. It is akin to one of those movies the whole family sit down with on a Sunday afternoon after lunch. Or even on those afternoons during Christmas with all the relatives. With the superb photography of Laurent Charbonnier and a charming, perfect score from Laurent Perez del Mar that fits the film brilliantly, it is something wondrous to see.
This is family filmmaking at its finest. Adults will get a kick out of seeing the characters brought to life for real, while the young ones will marvel at the cute woodland creatures they will see during the film. If you’re a parent, I’d prepare for them to ask if they can have a real Bambi for a pet. I mean, I want one for myself! While the film contains some mild threats that may unsettle the little ones, it doesn’t contain anything harmful or damaging. Every dangerous situation is resolved peacefully and with a happy outcome. Man may be in the forest, but the creatures who dwell within remain out of his vile reach. In these last weeks of the summer holidays, this is a refreshing change from the usual summer fare. Take the family to the film, sit back, and allow yourself to journey through the forest. When you enter it, you won’t want to leave. A real family summer treat.
Bambi: A Tale Of Life In The Woods is in cinemas now, courtesy of Dazzler Media.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
