Bambi (1942)

 

 Academy Awards, USA 1943

Nominated Oscar	Best Sound, Recording C.O. Slyfield (Walt Disney SSD)
	Best Music, Original Song Frank Churchill (music) Larry Morey (lyrics) For the song "Love Is a Song".
	Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Frank Churchill Edward H. Plumb

RKO Radio Pictures
Directed by David Hand
My rating: 4 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Disney)

Young fawn Bambi lives under the protection of his mother deep in the woods. Unknown to him, he is to be the new "prince" of the forest, a position currently held by his father. All the forest animals show up soon after his birth to greet him, including Thumper, a shy but lively rabbit, and Flower, a lazy but friendly skunk, who remain lifelong friends. After an idyllic first year, Bambi's mother is shot and killed by "man", portrayed off screen as an invading evil presence in the forest. Another year passes, and the trio of friends are now lovesick teenagers, with Bambi falling for a doe named Faline. However, a nearby campfire gets out of control and soon the forest is in flames. Bambi manages to escape with the help of his father. Disney's fifth, and best, animated feature is an incredible technical achievement in addition to being an emotional plea for the sanctity of the forest and its inhabitants.