At Six Every child Knew Violence First Hand.

My grandson loves Bambi. He see's it almost every day as kids of his age do with videos. Not yet three,--- he sets up the VCR all by his lonesome, flops himself down on the sofa and sips his milk, and "digs" on Bambi---
and I wonder if he can possibly see the video as I saw it? In 1942.



He will not allow "Pop Pop,"--(me)--, to see him cry---so he gets up slowly,---and moves silently,-- just out my of sight and the little tears well upin his eyes. At exactly the same place in the video, every time,-- and he's back on the sofa next to Pop Pop,--to watch. Contented and calm, he sips and savors. In Bambi's world of Caring-Love.


I saw Bambi when I was all of six years old, in 1942. I think all Disney movies of that era were lessons on sensitivity to, " willful, and thus, totally avoidable violence and the necessity of LOVE in a very, very, harsh world! Remember now,--- we six year olds were totally aware of an ugly World War,--from the radio, from our parents,and worst of all,--in our News Reels!Every time we went to the movies,---war. How I remember that huge camera lens, on the movie screen, turning to the audience, and saying "The Eyes And The Ears Of The World--On YOU!"


We all had personal experiences of a family member in that "News Reel War." We knew about death. Lives ended in "real time." You learned about death, first hand in your own or your neighbor's family! For a six year old the War had been going on "forever!" Over a year ! What a tender knowing, relief Walt Disney was for us! Love was so precious.

I ponder often on the luck of birth! I think often now, of my counter parts,-- those six year olds in Europe.(Germany,France,Britain.)Even worse if that is possible,-- for the six year olds in Japan ,China ,and all over Asia in 1942. They all lived in abject terror! Growing up in a daily nightmare of a world totally out of control. Totally violent. Totally unpredictable and sad. So sad. Guns? In of course Disney hated guns!


I knew guns in nightmares. Our shared nightmares! Think of those poor teens in 1942. That "Great Generation!"



Bambi and all of Uncle Walt's "flicks" were lessons in touchy, "feely," hold me,-- LOVE. Group Love.. Of being connected. Of grasping for,--"CLOSURE." A word we didn't hear in 1942 but is understood today, and is the best word for our need.! Happy endings meant so much to us six year olds!. What a welcome, soothing relief, for us kids, against the real
world outside.


You will find most of the generation born in the 1930's detest guns of all kinds! No one had to teach us the madness of violence!. Walt Disney was a genius of sensitivity. Bambi--It gave us feelings of GOODNESS and "SENSE."-- in that magic world on the big screen,-- we learned,---oh
yes---we learned that we too would find it. We weren’t in that "Greatest Generation," and we weren't their kids, But we knew them by name. They were "the big" kids.


At six my Granny took me to the local High School football games. We knew all the players. Granny owned a little neighborhood Grocery Store and my family all lived upstairs. The "big" kids all knew Granny's big ice cream cones and soda pop. They kidded me, the little freckled kid who idolized them,---and I loved the their jaunty manner and their "Big Kid" teasing! There was an UN spoken sadness in my Granny's eyes at times, and
I knew. I knew she dreaded the end of that school year with the certain fait in hand for our "Big Kids," those heroes of mine. For when that year ended we all knew they would be in the News Reels! Those booming, violent, scary, News Reels!Everyone knew,---- most of them,-- would never,
never, never come back! And what did they say to us so often? " What if the War ends before we get "OUR" chance to fight those dirty bastards!" (I apologize but no other words fit.)



They all got to fight, and when I think of Bambi,-- I think of my "Big Kids," my football heroes, that never came back. And--in silence,-- tears fill my old eyes. Even now----


Roy









Pros: trigger For Childhood Memories---
Cons: None.

Plot Details: This opinion reveals no details about the movie's plot
Overall rating: 5

Recommends to friends? Yes
Top of Form 3
&
Bottom of Form 3 Top of Form 4

Bottom of Form 4


| | | | |

in WIRED's Readers Raves!

© 1999-2000 Epinions, Inc.

Muze for Video:Copyright 1981 - 2000 Muze Inc. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights
reserved.