Pixar Era Analysis – Brave
As mentioned in a previous blog post, I’ll be writing analysis content on all 27 of Pixar’s animated feature films and their film making eras.
The third era is the Experimental Era, which ran from 2011 to 2019 and started with Cars 2. As mentioned in a previous blog post, the Experimental Era is known for its large number of sequels, original films that thought outside the box, and an animation style perfected in each film rather than exploring new ground.
So how did Brave measure up to the above features of the Experimental Era?
Large number of sequels:
This film is the first in the Experimental Era to be an original story/film, not a sequel.
Original films that thought outside the box:
Brave’s story was written by co-director, Brenda Chapman, who based it on the relationship she had with her own daughter. Chapman also co-wrote the film’s screenplay with co-director, Mark Andrews, and Executive Producers, Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter.
Brave was an original film that thought outside the box with its combination of historical setting and supernatural/magical aspects, specifically the curse turning Elinor (and later her three sons) into bears.
Animation style perfected in each film rather than exploring new ground:
According to the film’s IMDb page, two additional software programs were specifically developed for this movie by Pixar – one of them allowed simulation of Merida’s 1,500 strands of hair curls to move together with her movements. The other one enabled the animators to create billions of individual threads for the family tapestry.
The film’s IMDb page also stated that the animators had to personally learn the choreography for the fight scenes. The animators also visited the Costa Mesa Highland Games prior to the film’s release, which resulted in Fergus’ look resembling Dennis Strachan, a prominent member of the Scottish Clan Society at many of the California Highland Games.
The animators were also required to shrink Bear-Elinor in order for both her and Merida to fit in the same shot. Similarly, they scaled down the animation of teenage Merida, and made her features more youthful in the flashback scene between her and Elinor.
There were certain animation moments throughout the film that stood out to me due to them showing the evolution of Pixar’s animation, as well as showing animation that has been perfected. These moments include Merida’s third arrow during the archery challenge, the raindrops on the external castle walls, and the animation of the scenes set with little to no lighting or outside at night/during rain storms.
My overall thoughts:
Overall, I quite enjoyed Brave. I appreciated the relatable story of the complicated mother-daughter relationship, even if was set in 12th-Century Scotland and revolved around a curse that turned Elinor and three little boys into bears. I also personally appreciated the heavy female influence behind the scenes with a female writer and co-director, as well as the writers’ choice to not give Merida a love interest, which was especially important as she was Pixar’s first female protagonist.
I also felt it was the right first-original film for the Experimental Era – the story was relatable and mixed well with Pixar’s experimentation of combining supernatural/magic with its historic setting.
The next part of the Pixar Era Analysis series will focus on Monsters University.
Fun Facts and Trivia:
- According to the film’s IMDb page, this is the first Pixar film set entirely in the historic past.
- This is the first Pixar film to feature a female protagonist. Princess Merida is also the only Pixar character to be included in the official Disney Princess line.
- Merida is the first Disney Princess to not have a love interest.
- Merida is the first Disney Princess to not be based on any pre-existing literary character or historical figure.
- Princess Merida is the first teenage protagonist in a Pixar movie.
- This the first Pixar film to feature the Disney logo.
- Merida’s brothers never talk for the entire film.
References:
Loveday Writing 