The group of people is emotionally significant to use and is willing to support us. Perhaps to counter-balance the seriousness of the first and third acts, the second act includes a lot of pratfalls, body humor, and jokes, but all this threatens to create a tonal imbalance. When she gets him to calm down, Tanana tells Kenai that his transformation is both Sitkas work and his own fault. The spirits of the land - Sitka now among them - are greatly disappointed with Kenai's needless violence, and, in an attempt to teach him a lesson, turn him into a bear. In a carrying voice, Tanana explains that the Great Spirits have revealed Kenai's totem as well as the virtue he must aspire to live by. But no amount of good deeds can atone for sin. Amusingly, Kenais lack of facility with ropes and knots becomes a running joke. While on the subject of totems, what was Sitka's totem. Both Sitka (the eldest) and Denahi have received their ceremonial totem. In addition, his first appearance is him being afraid of the presence of hunters. If he hadn't been so hard on his younger brother (even going as far as to say that he's constantly messing up) Kenai wouldn't have gone looking for the basket, and if Denahi hadn't blamed Kenai for Sitka's death, Kenai wouldn't have gone after the bear. Roughhousing is playful competition, an expression of love rather than ego. "Now, the quicker we get these fish the faster we're going to get to your ceremony, so let's all just try and get along for a few hours.". Denahi almost has a moment of this when he realizes how close he came to. Communication allows us to understand the behavior and motivations of other people. They were all here for the totem ceremony and this time it was Kenai's turn to receive his totem and make the first steps towards manhood. "This is pretty cool." If this reading is correct, I think the film betrays its supposed pantheism, showing in itself the limits of its mantra that we are all the same.. To adapt Taylors words: Kenai is never told to be true to himself. "I-I think it's American, sir?" In Disney 's 2003 animated feature film, Brother Bear, a young boy named Kenai the youngest of three brothers kills a bear to avenge the death of his oldest brother, Sitka. This contrast between head-butting and roughhousing could also represent two different visions of masculinity. He was voiced by the late Jason Raize (who was the first actor to portray Simba in the stage version of The Lion King) and by the late Harold Gould as an elderly man. He is Kenai's former arch-nemesis and older brother and Sitka's younger brother. finds out the truth about the bear he killed and flashes back to the fight along with the conversation he had with Denahi, the lines. The world of the film, as we are told in the first few minutes, is full of magic. If the Apostle Paul were to watch it, he would probably tell the filmmakers what he once said in Athens: I couldnt help but notice that you are very religious. The film is about as religious as any Malick film, and this is a characteristic of Brother Bear that both encourages and irks me as a Christian viewer. The moose are not as jarringly out of place as the gargoyles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, or as insufferable as that snowman in Frozen, and at least they serve a thematic purpose in their final scene. Sitka and Denahi follow him, but an accident happens and Sitka dies. They recommended a tour which included stops at the Alaska Raptor Center, the Fortress of the Bears, and the Sitka National Historic Park. In the midst of these narrow escapes from Denahi, these moments drawing Kenai toward a paradigm shift, and the regrettably misplaced antics of moose, rams, mammoths, and bears, Kenai and Koda grow to see each other as brothers. No hope, no future. Hand and paw prints or tracks are a recurring motif in the film. Their dialogue is worth quoting at length, as it ties the films various themes together so tightly: Kenai refuses to confess his complicity in Sitkas death, and chooses hatred over love, literally forsaking his totem, the bear of love, by tossing it into the ashes of Sitkas funeral pyre. The section on Act One is naturally the longest, as that is the portion of the film that establishes all its core themes. Angry and frustrated, Kenai starts to pursue a bear that has just eaten the villages fish. Movie, TV Show, Filmmakers and Film Studio WordPress Theme. Mountain Where the Lights Touch the Earth, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Vincent smiled at Akito's totem as he took a look at it. The world of the film, as we are told in the first few minutes, is full of magic. If the Apostle Paul were to watch it, he would probably tell the filmmakers what he once said in Athens: I couldnt help but notice that you are very religious. The film is about as religious as any Malick film, and this is a characteristic of, This contrast between head-butting and roughhousing could also represent two different visions of masculinity. Moreover, the use of deer is telling. Kenai gets his leg caught in a snare trap. Instead, he is told by Tanana to pattern his life after love, something outside himself. This, the film suggests, is what mature manhood should be. I think it rings false that it doesnt take much to motivate Koda to forgive the murderer of his mother. But then his tone changes: What do you expect from a little brother. Kenai has finally accepted and been accepted by Koda and the rest of the bears. What does this power do? The stick-figure points a spear at the bears head. But enough qualifying. Various films show characters personal growth as they face a long journey filled with adventures. It evokes memories of the Disney classic. When he and Koda discover some cave paintings depicting humans hunting down animals, Koda says something that makes Kenai realize that bears aren't the real monsters, humans are. She made Kenai aware of the transformation, explained to him that his brother Sitka had been the perpetrator, and warned him that he would gain a new perspective on his life. The parallels drawn are probably too on-the-nose and reductionistic. Kenai learns that he and Koda both believe in the great spirits, both unnecessarily fear and vilify an unknown Other, and both have family members and communities that love them. I have a story to tell you. Brother Bear Wiki is a FANDOM Movies Community. It is narrowly averted at the film's conclusion when Kenai lunges at Denahi to protect Koda and Denahi braces himself against his spear. After running away from the salmon run party, Kenai tells a story to Koda. What animal did Rutt CLAIM TO BE when Kenai said that he was NOT a bear? At first, he outright rejected it as folly. Personal growth occurs constantly throughout life, sometimes without us even knowing it. For all her wisdom, Tanana is fun-loving and quirky. If he is the patron saint of Disneys unpopular live-action films (, I can understand why Christian viewers, especially responsible Christian parents with impressionable youngsters, would have qualms about the film. Otto replied. Others dictated the content of his attainment of mature manhood. Koda needs to get to the salmon run because he was separated from his mother and expects she will turn up there. In this way, a support network must be based on communication and trust. The first image is of two small boys roughhousing. Sweeney) and Denahi (Jason Raize), but when said ceremony occurs, hes less than thrilled with the totem, or "spirit animal" that hes assigned, which turns out to be "The Bear of Love." My brother Kenai went on to live with Koda and the other bears. The totem that Kenai was given was love, but what was the symbol on his necklace? Despite being large enough to be a threat, if the bear was the monster Kenai saw it as, it wouldn't be running away unless it was luring him away from something. Denahi is the main antagonist of Disney's 44th full-length feature film Brother Bear. Brother Bear Occupation Member of Tanana's tribe (formerly) Great Spirit Powers / Skills Spearmanship (as a human) Shapeshifting (as a spirit) Hobby Taking care of his two brothers Denahi and Kenai. To establish functional support networks, communication is the most important part. The lyric calls upon the spirits to. Ruben A. Aquino Daniel A. Gracey Voice Jason Raize Harold Gould (older) Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley (Inuktitut) Character information Other names Dog Breath Occupation Hunter Home Alaska Likes His brothers, bears Dislikes Bears (formerly), the caribou stampede, danger, Sitka's death Paraphernalia It is just here that Buddhism is on the side of modern pantheism and immanence. Suddenly, adolescent Nita arrives in the village to meet Kenai and his brothers, Sitka and Denahi. First, as I wrote earlier, the films proposal for how to achieve racial reconciliation is well-intentioned but doesnt go deep enough. Atoning blood has been shed, but that is a word of hope for weary sinners that Brother Bear cannot offer. He was killed by a beaby a monster. Again, Kenai still cant shake the prejudice that the friendly cub beside him will one day grow to be an enemy. Only four of the original characters return: Kenai, Denahi, Sitka, and Tanana. (Sitkas totem is the eagle of guidance.) They dont feel. Now he finds himself drawn into their loving, welcoming fellowship. But what happens next shocked me as a child, and it still surprises me nownot because Disney buried all the clues (far from it), but because, again, Disney doesnt usually let their protagonists commit truly horrendous, destructive acts. Most of the animals speak to each other in English, but there's a bear who only speaks Russian, to the confusion of every other bear. Fortunately, as the Smilodon don't appear in either of the films, the mention could simply be explained by stories passed through trade. Denahi is the (former) main antagonist of Brother Bear. Which bears? Perhaps the spirits are satisfied with this arrangement, but that suggests they have a lax stance on sin. "Some independent streak: talking back to commanding officers, trying to sneak off after lights out, a real discipline problem, but I don't think we'll be having any more trouble from you, will we, Mr. Oswald Rocket?" . FilmFisher.com Press Enter / Return to begin your search or hit ESC to close. 2003's Brother Bear is the 44th film in the Disney Animated Canon, and the second-to-last traditionally animated theatrical film produced by Disney for five years, until 2009's The Princess and the Frog. He comes to change his mind after hearing a brotherly spat between Rutt and Tuke and saves him from Denahi. Behind Kenai a herd of caribou were racing toward them. A page for describing Headscratchers: Brother Bear. Kenai is returned to human form, and Sitka reveals himself. Later, he comments ". But [in pantheism] the whole cosmos is only one enormously selfish person. Beginning with the rope trap, Kenai learns what it means to be the hunted instead of the hunter. Even so, I will attempt to make a case for the films greatness, not for the sake of nostalgia or to be contrarian, but because I believe the films craftsmanship, and the surprising richness of its many thematic preoccupations, ought to be recognized and discussed. Kenais totem is a bear, revealing that the spirits have foreknowledge of what he will do. Later, after Kenai's transformation into a bear, Tanana helped him recover in the forest. Sitka Background information Feature films Brother Bear Brother Bear 2 (cameo) Video games Brother Bear Animators Anthony Wayne Michaels Voice D.B. I have divided my analysis of the film into sections on each of its three acts, followed by some concluding critiques. "Well, I did feel the same way after Tanana gave me mine." Sitka admitted as he then showed his totem which was that of a majestic bird. [Sitka reminds Denahi's totem doesn't gaurentee his wisdom] he then demanded sternly. The Spirits turn Kenai into a bear to teach him to see through the eyes of another. When Koda first meets him, Kenai is caught in a human trap, suspended in the air with a rope tied around his ankle. Kenai refers to the bear he kills as a "monster", only to later find out she was Koda's mother. Its nighttime and the northern lights waft above the mammoth caravan. Kenai tries to follow after him, but loses hima loss of direction and guidance, again. If the world is full of real selves, they can be really unselfish selves. This site uses cookies. Standing beside Sitkas funeral pyre that night, Denahi and Kenai are at odds once again without Sitkas guidance. The gospel of Jesus Christ says that we cannot save ourselves, but Christ can, because our sin really is that awful and pervasive and because Christ really is a spotless atonement lamb. A Direct to Video sequel, Brother Bear 2, was released in 2006. st, as I wrote earlier, the films proposal for how to achieve racial reconciliation is well-intentioned but doesnt go deep enough. What he witnesses is a vision of family more compelling, even, than what he had with his brothers. Articles and opinions on happiness, fear and other aspects of human psychology. 2012 2023 . Its the story of his mother facing off against three hunters. Denahi is about to pierce Kenai with his spear when Sitkas eagle swoops in and the northern lights engulf the mountain. Kenai awakens, unmindful of his transformation, and begins to describe his encounter with the Great Spirits to Tanana. Immediately, the spirits, led by Sitka, descend upon the mountain and, in a dazzling phantasmagoria of sight and sound, Kenai is transformed into a bear. with Denahi raising his spear to strike bear-Kenai. We see the events of the first act from anothers eyes. Love is often vaguely, mushily defined in mainstream films, exalted as humanitys telos without the requisite theological understanding that God is love and alone defines what love means. If you have any doubts, consult your trusted professional. Kenai spends the majority of the film believing that bears are monsters and incapable of love. She is quite short, being several inches shorter than the adolescent Kenai, and heavyset. When Kenai goes out to avenge the death of his brother Sitka, he chases a bear up a mountain and kills it, which is later revealed to be Koda's mother; in, In the sequel Koda tells Nita that Kenai has dreams about her, now as an audience we know that Kenai's dreams are simply his childhood memories of her, but Nita doesn't and the way that Koda describes it really doesn't help. Kenai escapes by falling off the mountain and into a river. In everyday life these trips rarely happen. Growth occurs progressively, not as a sudden act. After a fight with a bear, Sitka falls off a glacier to his death. Also, when Kenai is hiding the in bushes, the bear looks around as if looking for something before running off. Its between two brothers: one who doesnt know hes fighting his brother, and another who is protecting his newfound little brotherKoda tries to come to Kenais rescuefrom being attacked by his older brother. Yes. Because the mountain where the lights touch the earth is practically next door to the salmon run, Kenai reluctantly agrees to accompany him. Over the course of the film, Kenai learns to love bears, and he shows his love for Koda by dedicating the rest of his life to looking after him. No Way Out is a bleak song. Just a moment before, Kenai told Koda that most bears were killers. 1) Kenai. I dont know what Im doing anymore. The most peaceful place Ive ever been to. Sitka and Denahi follow him, but an accident happens and Sitka dies. But this is not your typical hero versus villain confrontation. After Kenai chooses to remain a bear for good, Tanana names Denahi her successor and watches as he officiates the ceremony in which Kenai puts his paw print on the wall of his ancestors. After a quick shuttle ride into the town of Sitka, guests will begin their small group tour from the Visitor Center. Kenai and Koda must embark on a trip together. The adults inner growth is focused on improving their quality of life. The movie ismostlyunflinching on this point, demanding that he (and we) reckon with what his wickedness has wrought. The films characters espouse pantheism, and the films creators made the film within a secular framework. Animal abuse has to go out if we want a more peaceful society. What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway? It tells the story of young Kenai, whos about to become an adult. This is the story of a boy who became a manby becoming a bear.. Love desires personality; therefore love desires division. Koda: What? He has two brothers. Koda follows. 2003 film directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker, https://en.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Brother_Bear&oldid=3323889. The films proposal for how to achieve racial reconciliation is well-intentioned, but, as I will discuss at the end, doesnt go deep enough. Kenai, now a bear, finds himself alone and disoriented in the first. What kind of bear was he? The project of personal growth is composed of a series of goals and objectives. Kenai places his paw print on the wall at the end of the film, not because of a macho display of strength, but everyday acts of humble service. 2003's Brother Bear is the 44th film in the Disney Animated Canon, and the second-to-last traditionally animated theatrical film produced by Disney for five years, until 2009's The Princess and the Frog.
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