Bambi (Remastered Edition)
Reviewed by Demetris Christodoulides
August 11, 2005
Walt Disney's utopian idealism and sometimes dark vision, along with his cynicism about human nature were never more evident and heartbreaking than in his studio’s adaptation of Felix Saltin’s famous novel, one which showed in particular the writer’s love and affection towards nature. That film was a very important achievement in its time, and along with its minimal dialog and great use of its heart-warming visuals came a greater emphasis on the orchestral musical score when compared to the previous Disney animated films. Composers Frank Churchill and Edward Plumb were brought in for the musical accompaniment. Bambi was mostly the work of Frank Churchill, who was a very talented but also deeply troubled Disney composer who had achieved acclaim for the studio's first animated feature, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs in 1937. He sadly committed suicide just before the release and premiere of the film in 1942. Because of this tragic event, Bambi was completed and co-scored by Edward Plumb and a staff of composer/arrangers including Charles Wolcott and Paul Smith among them.
The score to Bambi, in this expanded edition which is the most complete yet, is considered by many to be the most sophisticated symphonic score of the early classic Disney features. Notably modern, dramatic, passionate and emotional, this is a work which awarded the pair of composers an Oscar nomination. The charming, feel-good and vivid original songs by Larry Morey and Churchill would get the latter his second Oscar nomination on the project. Though they represent only a short part of the score’s running time, they are elegant and delightful. As expected, they work well in the movie and the distinct chorus voices give the score a very specific ‘old-fashioned’ and nostalgic feel. The musical weight, however, still comes from the orchestral instrumental score.
Isolated from the iconic images of the film, this score remains extremely alive and descriptive, but it does help if one has some knowledge of the film’s plot. One of the most effective themes presented here is the instantly hummable and wholly loveable ‘Main Title from "Love Is a Song". Also notable is the ominous, dark and brooding theme for Man. Though this theme makes only two appearances, its vivid and dense instrumentation, dressed with a dense agony and tension, help to illustrate the pro-nature themes of the film that were so ahead of their time. As the listener proceeds through the rest of the score, the tone becomes more mature and serious, corresponding to the development of the film’s characters, which have grown older themselves.
The sound quality of the disc is quite satisfying, especially if you take into account that this is actually a 63 year-old recording. As a conclusion of the score, on the last three tracks we find a series of interviews with Walt Disney, legendary animators Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas, and Henry Mancini, who gives a detailed musical analysis. Also present on the album is a demo recording of an additional song that wasn’t included in the final film’s soundtrack. The liner notes are very detailed, with beautiful full-colour artwork, photo stills from the movie, a complete track listing, lyrics for each of the songs and interesting technical notes from the score’s digital restoration producer Randy Thornton (dated as of January the 27, 1995).
Bambi is a brilliant and amazing score, one of the best orchestral scores in the early Disney era and also one of the best Hollywood scores of the 1940s, made even better by getting a full, deluxe treatment with this new release. It’s a nostalgic, magical and highly emotional work that is the perfect accompaniment to the fragile and sensitive visuals of the film, where early 20th century and Romantic styles meet a childlike, playful lyricism. Wholly recommended.
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...The sound quality of the disc is quite satisfying, especially if you take into account that this is actually a 63 year-old recording....