The movie, “Brave”, premiering June 22, 2012, takes part of an interesting storyline of a princess, named Merida who challenges tradition. Merida is brought to life by the voice of Kelly MacDonald. Merida’s scruff, mop-like orange hair and dirty dresses clearly conflict with the socially accepted perceptions of princess with their beautifully groomed hair and clean dresses. Merida not only does not look like a princess, but also behaves more like her father, a Viking, who belongs to the voice of Billy Connolly, than her mother, a well-mannered queen, who is created by the voice of Emma Thompson.
Merida’s love for archery, hunting, and the wilderness gives her many fruitful opportunities. Nevertheless, her pride and quick temper leads her into complicated dilemmas that only maternal love and a little bit of magic can fix. Mark Andrews, director of “Brave” strives to demonstrate through Merida and her conflict with her mother, that the bond between a parent and child is stronger than any type of obstacle, or this case, a spell.
The overall message of the movie is about challenging the traditions society holds. Is it fair for a woman to be forced into a marriage? Are traditions meant to be kept and always upheld or are there times when tradition must be broken in order for progress to be made? Kaylin Hwang, junior at Crescenta Valley High School, said, “The movie’s message was basically talking about how the social norms are not always correct. We have traditions to help us maintain society, but if we always stick to those norms and never really try to change our ways, then we’ll always be stuck in the same place.”
The overall message of the movie was portrayed clearly, but the development of the characters in the movies was lacking. For a relatively short Pixar movie, the main characters such as Merida and her mother could have been further developed so that the viewers can fully comprehend the gravity of their relationship and consequences if the catastrophe in the movie is not fixed.
All in all, “Brave”, is a great movie to go see for all ages. The theme and moral it portrays is universal in the fact that all ages can take a different lesson from the movie. Be brave and watch it!
Hi David!
I watched Brave a few weeks ago and personally, I enjoyed it overall. I thought for an animated movie, it conveyed a strong message and theme underneath its surface. I like how you discussed these things in your article rather than merely mentioning about the qualities of the characters. Good job 🙂