Bambi was a child of the war – Diepresse.com
« Bambi » will soon come back to cinemas, as a real film. A closer look at Felix Salten’s life and work shows that the world -famous novel for a roebuck is closely interwoven with the reality of the First World War.
When Walt Disney’s « Bambi » came into cinemas, Senta Berger was a Wiener war child of 15 months. After the world premiere in London in 1942, the cartoon could of course only be seen in the Allies or in neutral states such as Sweden, the film only came to Austria in 1949. At the age of 27, Senta Berger finally came in connection with « Bambi »: As an up -and -coming, even successful actress in Hollywood, she received the award of the same name, which goes back to a figure of animal sculptor Else Bach, which has been produced since 1936. A total of four “Bambis” was presented in their career, most recently in 2023 for their life’s work. Now it is time to « Bambi » for Berger, but this time it is not about the price, but about the real film by the French director Michel Fessler, whose « journey of the penguins » (2005) should be known to fans of relevant work. Together with the cameraman Patrick Wack, he presents a work that « Bambi » presented with living animals. Berger acts as a narrator for the German -language version. It seems logical that a real Viennese takes over this part, not only because of her sonorous voice: also Felix Saltenthe author of the literary template « Bambi. A life story from the forest », lived in Vienna until his emigration in 1939.
« Bambi » like a horror film
It will be interesting to see how the film in its 77 minutes stages the world of deer and all friends of « Bambi », such as ravens, rabbits and raccoons. This applies particularly to the central scene of the book, the hunt in which « Bambis » mother dies. It is this « murder » and its drawing implementation at the time, which is why Disney’s trick version from 1942 by the US magazine « Time » was still one of the 25 most important horror films in history. Generations of children were traumatized by this scene. And that’s why it was said from the house Disneywhere you have long since planned an animated remake of « Bambi » that the death of the Rehmutter should be defused in this animation in order to prevent renewed traumatization of adolescents. Of course, as a look back shows, traumatized children have a significant role in the development of « Bambi ».
Salten had leased a hunt
Felix Salten often went on the game and had even leased his own hunt since 1909, where he likes to invite all sorts of friends, but the inspiration for « Bambi » should only be related to his experiences as a hunter. Rather, the idea of the book seems to come from the time of the First World War when Salten, together with his wife Ottilie, took care of refugee children and orphans in a charitative way. On June 10, 1917, he presented an article in the « Neue Freie Presse » an article entitled « A Capital Future », in which he compared the situation of more thousands, especially Jewish war children from Galicia and Bukovina with animal boys, to whom Jäger – like the famous roebock « Bambi » had shot away: « Anyone shooting the deer at the hunt that Calm tribes that have to starve miserably because the mother was robbed of the bird couple who wore his brood in the nest, so no one can offer him greeting, because he has been shot away. Wailing and being underpowered by orphaned human youth? «
»From 1914, Salten’s wife Ottilie took care of refugees in the former inn at the Praterpatzen. »
Salent devoted a lot of his journalistic energy as a well -known journalist – except for war propaganda that is not to be denied – the welfare, he was particularly committed to children. As early as 1914, his wife Ottilie started in the former inn at the Praterpatzen to take care of refugees. Salten introduced the place shortly before Christmas 1914 in the « New Free Press » and took an intensive view of his kindergarten, where you looked after the small and smallest refugees, including many traumatized: « But these children took me more than others that I have ever visited. These poor little preters are really different. Likewise, they are like other children. Children who have not spoken a word since they came from. «
