#5 Bambi

The last film of Disney's Golden Age, Bambi perfectly showcases the artistry present in Disney's early days. The background of the forest settings are beautifully painted, showing the full range of the seasons in lush, painterly detail. A sun-filled meadow, a cold, wintery forest, a forest fire in full motion - all of the settings are fantastically rendered. The film also allows the animators to show off the evolution of their talents - the animals are all more realistically animated than the more stylized ones present in Snow White and Dumbo. The standout scene, at least from a filmmaking perspective, is the fight between Bambi and a rival deer, drawn in a deeply shadowed, evocative style that drives home the primal atmosphere of the battle.

Interestingly, Bambi doesn't really have a plot. It just follows a series of episodes in the life of Bambi, from birth to adolescence, and finally, fatherhood. But of course, there's one thing everyone remembers from this film: the death of Bambi's mother. It's not hard to see why; it's one of the rare children's films to address the reality of death. What truly makes it unique is its conciseness: after wandering through the snow, Bambi finally comes across the Great Prince, who simply tells him, "Your mother can't be with you anymore." And really, that's all it needs; death encapsulated in a single statement. Not an elaborate explanation, not any "inspirational message... just one line, and then life goes on. The only thing that can really be said against the scene is that is transitions too quickly to the next, resulting in a bit of mood whiplash and not entirely giving the scene breathe as much as it should.

In essence, Bambi was a perfect way to cap off the Golden Age of Disney. It was a period of technical innovation and artistic experimentation, all on display here in a setting that allowed artist and animator alike a space to show the best of their abilities. By 1942, the year of Bambi's release, World War II was underway, and Disney would see their talents and budgets repurposed for the war effort. The Golden Age had ended, and the Package Film Era would soon begin.