Bambi (DVD)

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Extras:
Disc one contains the feature film; the mono and enhanced soundtracks; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; English captions for the hearing impaired; and twenty-five scene selections. In addition, there is a seventy-minute documentary, "Bambi: Inside Walt's Story Meetings," hosted by actor Patrick Stewart. It seems that Uncle Walt kept audio transcriptions of all the story meetings he had with his fellow filmmakers, and they were recently uncovered in the Disney archives. The audio is presented along with film clips, storyboards, and still photographs to provide a fairly comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. Finally, there are Sneak Peeks at other Disney titles; and a preview of disc two (just to remind folks to visit it, I suppose).

Disc two contains a ton of further supplementary materials. The first and most important for me is the section called "Backstage Disney," which begins with the documentary, "The Making of Bambi: A Prince Is Born." It's fifty-three minutes long and divided into six chapters: "Telling the Tale," "Drawn to Nature," "Giving Voice to Animals," "Impressions of the Forest," "Nature's Music," and "Back to the Beginning." Amazingly, some of the original actors and artists who worked on "Bambi" so long ago are still alive and share with us their memories of the filmmaking, as do many of today's top Disney animation producers. For instance, Donnie Dunagan, the voice of the young Bambi, tells us he was reluctant to admit his participation in the film to acquaintances when he later joined the U.S. Marine Corps. John Culhane, author and film historian, sums up the "Bambi" allure succinctly when he says it's about "life and struggle and death and rebirth."

In addition, "Backstage Disney" contains a series of featurettes that are pretty much self-explanatory. "Restoring Bambi," five minutes, explains the frame-by-frame cleanup of the print; "The Legacy Continues: A Sneak Peek at the All-New Bambi Movie," four minutes, is a promo for the new, upcoming "Bambi"; "Disney Time Capsule: 1942, The Year of Bambi," is four minutes long, showing what else was going on at the time; "The Art of Bambi" is a series of still galleries, with or without audio commentary; "Tricks of the Trade" is seven minutes; "Inside the Disney Archives" is eight minutes; and the "The Old Mill" is a 1937 animated short that helped the Disney artists create some the effects used in "Bambi." This part of things concludes with an original "Bambi" theatrical trailer.

Of next greatest importance to me were two, very brief deleted scenes, "Winter Grass" and "Bambi's First Snow," both done up in storyboards only, with introduction. Then, there are the usual Disney "Games and Activities" that kids will enjoy. "The Forest Adventure" game takes you through the woods to stop here and there and play little games with your remote control. If you tire and want to move on, there is an index of all the games to help you get quickly to the next one. After that is a DisneyPedia segment on "Bambi's Forest Friends," about four minutes on the real-life habits of deer, rabbits, and skunks. Next is a "Personality Profile: What's Your Season?" Here you answer a series of questions, and the Disney prognosticators tell you what season you are inclined to and what your personality is like. I'm a spring person, it appears. OK by me. "Disney Storytime" features "Thumper Goes Exploring," which can be read along or read on one's own. And, finally, there is a "Virtual Forest," a kind of screensaver that shows a woodsy scene passing through the seasons, with appropriate sound effects. It's quite lovely and all and apparently repeats endlessly, but it's literally like watching grass grow.

The two discs come packaged in a slim-line keep case, further enclosed in a colorful, glossy slipcover with a front that opens up to further information. Within the case is a chapter listing, plus one of those typical Disney road maps that help you navigate all the byways of the bonus materials.

For another look behind the scenes, check out James Plath's interview with Donnie Dunagan, the voice of young Bambi.

Parting Thoughts:
One can argue that "Bambi" could have profited from more extended characterizations or a more involved plot line, but such contentions seem fatuous in light of the film's continuing success. "Bambi" is calculated to delight the eye and pull at the heartstrings, which it does with consummate ease. Its magic has worked for over six decades, and I daresay it will work for six more before it's given some kind of holographic update that will extend its appeal well into the twenty-second century and beyond. Good things just keep on being good.

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