Pixar had a historic year with the performance of Inside Out 2 to put the animation studio back on the map. While successes like Blush, Luca, And Elementary The groundwork may already be laid, but it seems that this is truly an era of rejuvenation for the Disney-owned animation house, especially with a number of sequels and original projects on the way. So much has been said about the magic of Pixar and how pictures like Monsters Inc., Toy Story, And Wall-E has given Steve Jobs’ former company such an amazing reputation. Brave has risen to the top ranks of Pixar films and is fondly remembered by many. It is certainly a unique entry in the studio’s catalog, considering it is the only production to feature a traditional Disney princess, with Merida officially joining Snow White and Tiana.

Brave is still a classic, but when rewatching it, it’s really the opening scene that stands out. Pixar has a great history of creating introductions that tug at the emotions or promise great intensity and action, and Brave certainly sticks to that formula. However, it can be argued that the rest of the film doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by the beginning. That’s not to say that it makes the film any worse, but that it goes in an unexpected direction. One that might seem quite familiar to those who have been following Disney for long enough. What was the prologue to Brave What is it about and how did the rest of the film unexpectedly change expectations and not quite live up to the promise? That is the topic of the day and a topic that so much discussion revolves around.

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Pixar has always had a talent for emotional openings. Finding Nemo And High are often considered the two most outstanding in this category. The despair the audience experiences when they learn that Nemo is all Marlin has after the terrible loss of his family shapes the character for the rest of the film. And indeed, Carl’s life is played out to the audience, with the portrayal of a beautiful love story that ends in tragedy for the beloved protagonist. Pixar has developed this incredible ability to encapsulate the themes of the film and present the character in a stunning way, all in a few short moments. Looking at Pixar’s filmography, there are other examples of the studio using the introduction to really set up the scene in a way that other animation studios are unable to. The lurid historical background of The Incredibles contrasted with the beginning of a family, is a masterpiece of cinematic art that creates a unique atmosphere while setting up the premise of a very different superhero story. And when the audience meets Woody for the first time, a connection is formed immediately. It is clear that Pixar wanted to do just that with the opening of Brave, Trying to balance the themes of the film with an exciting beginning.

The prologue of the standalone filmBrave is iconic because it accomplishes so much. It immediately establishes who Merida is as a character: a rough-and-tumble princess with no interest in royal life and more forceful than her mother would hope. It shows a chaotic family happy and content with their lives. It introduces the amazing Scottish setting of this story, with all its natural beauty and ancient mythology. It brings magic into play and shows the will-o’-the-wisps that will reappear later. It does all of this with an enchanted touch, playing on the fairy tale themes the film wants to move forward with while also keeping the mother-daughter relationship strong in the audience’s mind. But then everything changes. This magical moment is interrupted by the arrival of a fierce and monstrous bear, the film’s so-called antagonist. With Merida’s father seemingly killed in battle and a darker action adventure hinted at, everything that was set up seems to have been turned on its head. This scene is presented as a turning point, a sequence that changes Merida’s life forever and presents her as a tough heroine. But in reality, what is being set up here doesn’t play out the way the audience expects.

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The premise of body swapping has been around before

• Brave is located in the beautiful Scottish Highlands.

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What follows the prologue is a series of revelations that almost take back the events of the beginning. Merida’s father is very much alive, the bear has been defeated for now, and her personality is largely the same as it always was. The kingdom still feels magical and although there is a threat lurking in the background, that fateful day has not had the impact many might have thought. While an original film like Finding Nemo or High could have used the events at the beginning to immediately set in motion a new adventure, Brave instead promotes a new period of prosperity as the happy family grows. In fact, the big twist in the story doesn’t even happen at the beginning, but when Merida’s mother is turned into a bear. What could have been a very different fairy tale instead turns into something quite familiar. Disney has a long history of body-swapping comedies and animated productions, and it’s hard not to draw comparisons with these other releases.

Whether it A kingdom for a llama or Bear BrothersDisney has repeatedly turned human characters into animals in the hope that this forced transformation will ultimately change their characters forever. Thematically, Merida’s mother, Queen Elinor, is very protective of her daughter and disapproves of her free lifestyle. While her mother wants her to follow tradition, Merida wants to rewrite the rules instead. That’s really what this film is about, and it perhaps focuses more on Elinor coming to terms with who her daughter is than on Merida becoming the heroine, which the beginning seems to set up. Merida doesn’t seem to change that much; she may form a closer bond with her mother, but she lives her life just as freely at the end as she did at the beginning. When it seemed like something had shifted or perhaps been taken away from Merida in the prologue, in truth nothing has changed at all. The events at the beginning of the film have made the Queen more defensive, but aside from that, it’s the bear-based transformation that provides the catalyst for later conflicts, a premise that, as mentioned, audiences have seen before.

Brave is a classic, but fails to live up to its own high expectations

There is still much to love about the Scottish fairytale

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Regardless of criticism or comparisons, Brave is still a great film with compelling character arcs and important themes. It’s still lavishly animated, features amazing voice performances, and builds a mythical lore that meshes perfectly with its setting and narrative concepts. It’s accessible to all ages and includes relationships that anyone can relate to. The truth is, though, that the expectations set in the opening scene just weren’t met in the way audiences might expect. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as in many ways it’s the opposite of what Pixar usually does. Perhaps viewers are so trained to believe that the twists and turns occur in the opening of a Pixar film that going in a different direction ultimately means completely subverting the predictions. And of course, there are elements of that opening that are picked up on. The characterizations are consistent; the legendary Mor’du returns, and the Will-o-the-Wisps are crucial. So it can be argued that Braves The opening does exactly what it needs to do, even if it goes against Pixar’s own rules.

Brave will continue to be a fan favorite and a major milestone in Pixar’s long history. Taken out of context, the beginning may be comparable to some other great films, but how the rest of the film plays out with animal transformations, lighthearted banter, and a final humanization of the antagonist doesn’t quite fit the quest-like revenge epic that might have been hinted at. What Pixar has always done so well is make sure that its films are still intelligent regardless of the age group they appeal to. They still require deeper thought, and Brave is an example of this, and from this discussion about the connection between the image and its introduction many other, more nuanced opinions are likely to emerge. Ultimately Brave should be rewatched and enjoyed for what it is; a different take on a fairy tale that perhaps doesn’t embrace the darker themes it draws inspiration from, but instead plays with the tropes that Disney has established so firmly in the medium. With a litany of sequels in the pipeline, hopefully Pixar will continue to stay true to that promise of constant reinterpretation.

Brave

director

Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell

Release date

19 June 2012

studio

Pixar

Pour

Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters

Authors

Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell

Duration

93 minutes

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