It was the shot heard around the world. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was curled up on the sofa with tears streaming. I was eight years old, and I had just watched Bambi’s mother die. I had little knowledge of death and was distraught. Fortunately, my mother, who was seated next to me, provided some desperately needed emotional support. After talking about loss and grief, I eventually recovered, even though I stopped eating venison for a while. A hamster named Squeaker became my first pet a few months later. The conversation helped assuage my feelings and somewhat lessened the pain I felt when he passed away.

The next classic Disney film that seems to require a contemporary remake is Bambi … because nothing quite screams triggering like a heartwarming tale about an innocent white-tailed deer who must face life alone after losing his mother. The beloved animated film from 1942 tells a timeless story about friendship, loyalty, and power of love, and the impact of loss.

Rumour has it that Disney intends to soften the portrayal of Bambi’s mother’s death to make it more acceptable to a more ‘sensitive’ modern audience. That seems to be what screenwriter Lindsey Beer is aiming for. In a recent interview with Collider, Beer stated:

‘Not to spoil the plot, but there’s a treatment of the mum dying that I think some kids, some parents these days are more sensitive about than they were in the past… I do think there is a way to update Bambi.’

Grief frequently serves as a catalyst for change in stories. It’s done beautifully in Bambi. The young deer is compelled to seek comfort from others, particularly the endearing rabbit, Thumper. The movie provides an environment for children to experience a range of emotions, including sadness, grief, and loss, despite the fact that it features one of the most iconic and heart-wrenching scenes in animation history. Movies like Bambi present a chance to start a discussion with parents about these ideas, a way to begin important conversations that children will need to have when they encounter them in the future. A means of promoting empathy.

This is something the entertainment industry doesn’t understand. What I will refer to as aesthetic revisionism has been on the rise in recent years. Editing, censoring, or outright removing content from entertainment that was once completely acceptable when it was created is now seen as problematic because it doesn’t meet the high moral standards we have set for ourselves today.

I grew up in an era when animation was incredibly disturbing. If the censors think Bambi is gruesome, just wait until they see Watership Down. Oh, wait, they have. The BBC made a progressive nightmare out of Richard Adam’s classic story about a small but brave group of rabbits. At any minute, it felt like a BLM rally was going to break out at Sandleford Warren.

These cultural vandals believe that a movie made 80 years ago must adhere to contemporary social norms. With modern production companies, there are no limits to what you can do — a quick cut here, an edit there. The creativity, ambition, and individuality of art are being destroyed by this unrelenting campaign to avoid offending a small section of viewers.

Censorship is motivated by arrogance, which is frequently an indicator of ignorance. In their righteous quest to eradicate offence, writers are not passing the torch; they are torching the past.