After quite some time, Pixar has finally acknowledged the powerful force of a woman and their desire for freedom and choice in a world ruled by men. A Scottish tale set in ancient times is a promising premise to tell a story of a princess who wants more out of her life than conformity and docility.
Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) is a Scottish princess who has been trained and guided her whole life by her mother, Queen Elinor (voiced by Emma Thompson), to become the successor to the throne and that undeniably implies getting married. Merida however is particularly opposed to the idea of marriage and wishes to build her own life instead of following tradition and letting it determine the path her life will take. She longs for freedom and the ability to make choices for herself and of course mistakes if need be but her mother doesn’t flinch at her request to deviate from tradition and goes on to prep her for the arrival of the leaders of the other tribes and their young sons, who will be tested to see which is worthy of the honor to become the next King — after the departure of Merida’s father, Fergus (voiced by Billy Connolly) — and suitor to Merida. The big day has come and the three other Scottish tribes have arrived to perform the crucial step in their land’s subsequent history. Merida is still defiant of her mother’s wishes of conformity to tradition, but is willing to test each suitor in the skill she is positively proficient in – archery. After one of the young men unintentionally shoots the arrow at its designated target, Merida takes matters into her own hands and vies for her own hand and no doubt embarrasses the other tribes by succeeding. Her mother is the only one who seems to see her action as an unacceptable and childish attempt at defiance of their country’s long and uniform history so after an altercation with Merida, the princess storms out on her loyal steed to be alone in the only place she can be herself and exercise her free will – the woods. After running into some wisps that she saw earlier in her childhood, she chooses to follow them and see where they lead her as legend foretells. She meets a legitimate witch who offers her a magic spell which would change her mother’s mind about the betrothal, but as one thing leads to the other, it turns out to be something which Merida didn’t expect and wishes she would have apprehended prior to her purchase of the spell. Everything is turned upside down from then on and Merida is forced to not only come to terms with her mother’s transformation and current vulnerability, but also her role in the kingdom and the choices she makes, which in turn affect everyone else around her whether she likes it or not.
The animation style of this feature film is quite superb indeed; from the beautifully crafted scenery of the land and forests to the main heroines audacious hair, Pixar has done a wonderful job of creating a balance between the aesthetic qualities of the film and the characteristics of the characters presented. It could have easily been turned into a circus if only one aspect of a character — such as Merida — was over-emphasized and interpreted garishly, but Pixar was able to avoid that fate by sticking to what they do best – a poignant message and powerful characters that bring a human quality to any story they produce. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the film and its basis, I did think that at times the film deviated from its intended path and concentrated a bit too much on its humor and slapstick comedy. This was a bit of a pitfall for me and easily the main let down of the movie, which could have been so much more if only the story was a little more objective in its screenplay. Nonetheless, it does keep younger children interested and lets them have a laugh instead of just stumbling along with the characters’ struggles and goals. I commend Pixar’s dedication to the plot by involving actors from the Scotland area such as Billy Connolly, Kelly Macdonald and Craig Ferguson. I think it keeps the story genuine and leaves out the cheesiness of involving actors that can perform a Scottish accent; plus it gives those who come from Scotland a chance to showcase their oral talents by incorporating their Scottish spirit into the characters they are hired to portray.
An important message that was drawn from this film is the feistiness, courage, and overall independence of the main heroine, Princess Merida. Disney is widely known for their animated features about young women who need a handsome prince to come and sweep them off their feet or save them from a wicked protagonist which seeks to destroy them, but Merida is to date, the only princess who is in charge of her own destiny and able to fight for her freedom, seeking happiness and satisfaction from her ability to take care of herself without a man making her feel vulnerable and weak. It is definitely a breath of fresh air and strongly aimed at younger girls who need a bit of a boost and an overall change of perspective, that they are strong and able to achieve their dreams and make decisions for themselves without succumbing to the influence of men because of their history in dominating the many areas, whether it be work, sports, or societies ideals about marriage. Life is short and it is ultimately about making yourself happy and being able to say that you have followed your instincts and persevered despite the obstacles that society or family upbringing has thrown at you. Girls need to understand that now more than ever, is the chance for them to shine and excel in the fields which they feel passionate about; and there’s nothing wrong with making an early start. Of course there is a difference between exerting yourself and pushing away those who you think hinder your progress at succeeding, so don’t get the idea that it’s alright to act like a conceited jerk who only cares about their pursuits. Life is more than just a road to fulfill your dreams, it’s also the opportunity to enjoy yourself and spend time with those who love you and those who you love in return. Sometimes those relationships and experiences will make you or break you, but it is up to you to make those mistakes and learn from them as best as you can to make sure that your future is bright and hopeful. Family and friends have to be the things that ground you from flying too high above the ground, so please never neglect or forget those who taught you right from wrong and those who lived through those tough moments by your side. Never forget who your true friends are and you’ll be alright as long as you have something to reach for in this world.
Groundbreaking and unique in every way, Brave is great fun for the whole family and breathtaking in its presentation of setting and historical background. Determination will prevail in the end, and this film is a great pointer to our young viewers about how we perceive our lives and who is really in charge of our fate and destiny.
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