Synopsis
Disney and Pixar’s fifth collaboration, “Brave”, is an animated fantasy that made its debut in 2012. Brave follows the life of “Princess Merida”, son of King Fergus and Queen Elinor, who is an expert in archery and is a passionate character. Merida is certainly not a classic princess, which is made evident early on. Rather than the etiquette that is expected of a young lady of the royal family, she relishes in archery, horse riding, and the wilderness surrounding her.
The kingdom is preparing for an important event: the choosing of Merida’s future husband. Following an age-old tradition, the first-born sons of the allied clans—Dingwall, MacGuffin, and Macintosh—arrive to compete for her hand in marriage. Merida is frustrated and is offended by the lack of her choice, being married off to a stranger. As an act of rebellion, Merida competes in the contest and wins, defeating all astonishment by “fighting for her own hand.”
This act of defiance, however, creates a rift between Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor, who is unwaveringly traditional and views Merida’s tendencies as reckless. This of course, Elinor’s deeply caring side, leads Merida into the woods, where Merida is drawn by the glowing blue lights of the mysterious will-o’-the-wisp, which leads her to a remote cabin. Here, she encounters a whimsical woodcarver and witch. Merida saught out the witch to help her, worrying for her mother, asking for a spell to change her mother’s mind and to relieve her of the royal burdens.
Unfortunately, every spell cast won’t always have the desired outcome. In this instance, the spell does not convince Queen Elinor regarding Merida’s ambitions; instead, it turns the Queen into a bear, the exact creature that her husband fought off. Merida, mortified, drags her mother into the woods. In an attempt to prevent the irreversible magic, they work together to try to undo the spell. Rather quickly, they form a bond with one another. The two are then able to repair their broken family ties.
The two start to build an adventure to last a lifetime. With Queen Elinor still a bear, Merida still attempts to understand her mother’s wisdom. In the end, every daughter should know about the profound love and responsibility her mother carries. The duo does have an adventure, but they race to stop the spell becoming permanent before the second sunrise.
The centerpiece of the climax of the story is, emotionally, the fuse that Merida has to go through to get “what’s hers”. She must realize that the bond between Merida and herself is broken. The only way to fix this is with the tapestry that Merida had torn to shreads during their squabble. She starts off with an emotional declaration—every truth she has concealed, every broken family bond she has ignored, and love. She then tells the tapestry that they owe it to love, to mend this bond, and together they fuse.
Once the sun emerges, Elinor once again becomes human, and they meet again. Understanding alongside respect has changed the relationship between mother and daughter. Once sensitive Merida focus is no longer placed on silence and defiance, but rather on compassion.
Cast & Crew
Kelly Macdonald as Princess Merida. Macdonald portrays Merida as independent as to how the Princess, at times defers to sensitive vulnerability.
Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor. With Thompson’s depiction, balance is created as the controlling, yet loving, mother embodies duty and grace.
Billy Connolly as King Fergus. Connolly delves into the emotions of Merida’s loving, and bear fighting father, creating comedic moments.
Julie Walters as the Witch. Walters uses whimsy while acknowledging the spellcasters to provide a memorable scene.
The lords of the clans Macguffin, Macintosh, and Dingwall, voiced by Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, and Robbie Coltrane also provide hyper and comedic energy to their characters.
The film was co-directed by Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews, and Chapman is credited as the major creative force behind the story. This made her the first woman to direct a feature Pixar film, which marks an important milestone in the history of animation. The story was inspired by Chapman’s relationship with her daughter, and it was autobiographical in nature.
The score was composed by Patrick Doyle, a composer whose music captures the Scottish heritage of the film with vivid and rich melodies, stirring and emotional themes, and traditional instruments. The film also has original songs such as “Touch the Sky” and “Into the Open Air” which greatly symbolizes the theme of freedom and transformation and the journey of Merida.
Brave holds an IMDb rating of 7.1 out of 10 which is a respectable score due to the fact that the movie is family friendly and loved by many animation fans. The movie was complimented for the animation, emotional depth and the fact that it features a female lead. Some reviews mentioned that the story was more traditional Disney than Pixar, but the majority of the reviews valued the focus on the mother-daughter relationship, which is a dynamic that is not often explored in animated movies.
Artistry is one of the most commendable achievements of a movie in the Brave series. It captures the Scottish Highlands in a lie of thick forests, towering hills, and, floating misty lochs which gives the impression of a real fairytale world. The meticulous animations of Merida with her blazing locks of hair signifying both her fiery determination and the technical prowess of the film.
Withing the year of 2013 the film went on to win the Academy Award for the best animated feature, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award in the same category. These awards certainly highlight the emotional impact of the film and its high production quality.
On the other hand, Brave was not seen as the average pixar film as critics viewed it as a revolutionary leap toward more complex story telling within the world of animation. It was a new type of hero who yearned for neither love nor glory, but only freedom and understanding which she could only find within her family, and this resonated with people of all ages.
Final thoughts,
From family bonds and traditions to personal development, Brave as a film is an in-depth analysis of animated movies. It conveys the story of a young girl, Merida, who learns the art of communication, and the value of empathy, and ultimately the strength it requires to accept her own failures.
Focusing on the relationship between a mother and a daughter is a choice that greatly deviates from conventional plot devices and is one of the things that makes the movie extraordinary. In the broad scope of a world filled with stories centered on the princesses and the evil foes, that nuance makes the story meaningful. Merida is one of the few protagonists that does not need saving—she only wishes to be understood.
Brave does not cease to amaze the audience with it’s remarkable visualization of story, beautifully crafted animations, and skilled acting by the performers. Instead it continues to encourage them to mend the relationships that matter the most.
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