MovieChat Forums > The Fox and the Hound (1981) Discussion > A bit sympathy for the bear?

A bit sympathy for the bear?

posted 15 years ago by BobStage
12 replies | jump to latest

I mean, what the hell did that bear do to anyone until it was disturbed?

It's kinda odd to advertise an antagonist like the bear (see http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1552522752/tt0082406) when the bear had nothing to do with causing the problems. His entrance into the film actually led to the problems being solved. And for that he dies.

Oh well... at least it wasn't a wolf. Wolves always get the short end in movies.

[–] Remegy64 15 years ago

You should really watch Brother Bear...

We've come to the conclusion that The Bird is greater than or equal to The Word.

[–] writer_cb 15 years ago

Why I was wondering is, why the hell is that bear so angry? Sure I guess their noises destroyed his peace, maybe he was a she-bear with cubs nearby, or was fishing, but...damn, that was one angry bear!

i did feel sorry for it, though. It had a right to defend it's peace.

I think the bear had to be introduced, like you said, to act as a plot device to solve the problems. Otherwise, Amos and Copper would've just kept going after Todd. I think if Tod, Copper, or Amos died on the log (that is the direction Tod was going, bear or no, I think), it would've been too heavy. If Amos died, Copper would've been even more against Tod, and if Tod or Copper...well, this is Disney, they wouldn't kill of a main like that, would they? Plus that would just be way too sad...

[–] Traianus 15 years ago

Why I was wondering is, why the hell is that bear so angry? Sure I guess their noises destroyed his peace, maybe he was a she-bear with cubs nearby, or was fishing, but...damn, that was one angry bear!

i did feel sorry for it, though. It had a right to defend it's peace.

Well, it was apparently sleeping, and you have a hunter armed with his gun and accompanied by his hunting dog intrude its space and disturb it. For all it knew under the circumstances, the hunter was out to kill it. Or, yeah, maybe it was just mad over being woken up.

In any case, you're right - the bear is a deus ex machina writ large. I mean, you have a giant, soon-to-be-very-angry bear being undetectably quiet behind what appears to be a pretty small bush right next to a waterfall ledge along the very path where the main characters are chasing each other around. What are the odds?

It's a Disney cartoon meant for children, so many would say there's no sense analyzing it too much. Yet critics have continually noted the weighty themes in this film, and on that level, the bear is kind of a metaphor for any number of things - really, any number of dark, looming, and yet unforeseeable dangers (accidents, diseases, etc.) that lurk on the edge of one's path in life and can have unforeseen effects/consequences (for better or worse) on a person's relationships. Sometimes such situations/ events/things can flat-out destroy life. Sometimes they can bring out the worst in people.

And yet other times the very worst situations are what bring out the very best in us - and I guess I think that's what happens with Tod and Copper.

[–] IceboxMovies 14 years ago

If I don't really feel sorry for the bear it's mostly because it's not a dimensional character. The bear isn't really even a character at all; it's merely a cardboard plot device that's designed to help mend together Copper and Tod's relationship back together. If mutual conversation isn't going to heal their antagonism towards each other, then a united stand against an even larger threat to themselves surely will.

At any rate, we never do figure out of the bear dies or not. Maybe it just gave up and swam away. Wishful thinking, sure, but you know...

"What I don't understand is how we're going to stay alive this winter."

[–] baprice14 14 years ago

why the hell is that bear so angry?

Immediately after the bear gets disturbed, the hunter shoots the bear (in the shoulder I believe).

Also, does the bear die? I don't remember the film showing his death.

Tendrils of Obfuscation

[–] Hazel-Wish 13 years ago

Exactly. Maybe it was angry at being woken up, but then the hunter shoots at it, so the bear most likely perceived that as a threat (hey, wouldn't you?) It was simply trying to defend itself.

Yeah, that cover has always bothered me. There's really no point in the bear being there. The cover would've been much sweeter and more artistic to me if it just focused on the two children and not have "impending doom" looming in the distance.

[–] MetFanMac 13 years ago

Not to mention that it's inaccurate since the bear doesn't appear until they've already grown up...

Supermodels...spoiled stupid little stick figures mit poofy lips who sink only about zemselves.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] icymark 13 years ago

if that bear was going to try and kill you, I bet you wouldn't feel any sympathy for it.

http://companyidyll.bandcamp.com/track/i-cant

[–] cairn6 12 years ago

Like one other poster stated in this thread...the bear was not a character in the film, but more of a form of symbolism. The bear may have been acting simply in defense of itself by naturally defending territory against the "intruders" (Tod, Copper, and Amos)on a visible level...but the bear could also symbolize the main characters' out of control anger and their emotions overtaking their ability to think clearly. Pretty much their own anger, disagreements, and ignorance having now blown up into a situation they no longer can control. And by Tod saving the other two and Copper and Slade realizing their errors in their ways, they were all victorious...not by beating an angry bear, but by overcoming their own inner demons and becoming better individuals in the end. The friendship took an awful beating, but everybody learned valuable lessons in life.

[–] 12 years ago

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