I almost didn't buy the New Bambi DVD. My babies are 20, 18, 16 and 14 and they all thought I was nuts. My battle cry is that one day I will have grandchildren. Actually, I really wanted the DVD for "ME" and to watch all the Bonus stuff on the second DVD.
First I watched the classic Bambi movie. My first thoughts were how it looks so very 1940s. I've obviously seen the movie before and much of it I had forgotten but my main reaction was how dated it looked.
THEN I put in the 2nd DVD and went thru the whole thing including watching the Academy Award winning "The Old Mill" which is on the 2nd DVD. Disney Animators who worked on Bambi as well as Disney Animators today AND the children who played the voices of Bambi, Thumper and Fiona are all featured on this 2nd DVD. The information they give us is AMAZING!!! The little boy...who isn't so little any more...who played Bambi has such a wonderful story to tell. I won't spoil it for you. I was blown away at the story of how they came up with the Chinese impressionistic style for the background designs and what the animators had to do to make the animals looks so real. I was also completely WOWed with the sheer genius of all the men and women involved in making this movie. From getting to know a bit more about the composers of Bambi's musical score to what a creative genius Walt Disney was in so many different areas. The multiplane camera is fascinating.
Well...after spending an hour or so on all the Bonus material, I went back and watched Bambi again. The experience was totally different for me. I appreciated it so much more. I knew what to look for and how to really get the most out of this film. My appreciation for the voice of Thumper went up about a billion percent. Bambi no longer looks dated to me. It is an extraordinary work of art!
I also recently purchased the 2 DVD Mary Poppins movie. I watched this movie in the same way. The bonus material is priceless! When Karen Dotrice, who plays Jane Banks, talks about her Uncle Walt...well...I burst into tears right along with her.
If you have both of these new DVDs in your library and haven't watched the Bonus material yet, I would strongly encourage you to do so. The bonus materials really gave me a deeper love and appreciation for these timeless classics and for Walt Disney himself.
