Brother Bear

Brother Bear is an animated film set in a very simple time. The picturesque wilderness of the film is breathtaking, with green pastures and rolling hills along with the clear waters and snow-topped mountains, one can get lost in the colorful yet calm beauty. We are introduced to the faith of the indigenous people very early on, with the shaman, who is the elder wise-woman of the tribe. She is a kind-natured "nana"/matriarch of the family and is the overseer of the spiritual lives of the tribe. We are then introduced to Keni and his two brothers. The film progresses quickly from frolic and play to the storyline. Keni is initiated into manhood with a formal ceremony where he is given his totem, or charge in life, which is to be a loving bear. He displays his immaturity, by rushing off to the ceremony and not setting the bear trap correctly, which becomes the source of much drama to follow. After coming back and realizing that the basket his brother made has been destroyed, and rushing off to right his wrong, he sets the entire family up for tragedy, revenge, and a great lesson. Sitka, the oldest brother is killed trying to save the lives of his two youngest brothers, and Keni, determined to avenge his brother's death, sets out and kills the bear that he believes is to blame for his brother's death. This cruel act of killing creates unbalance in the spirit-world and Sitka, now an eagle spirit, wants to teach his brother's a valuable lesson. Keni is transformed into a bear and his brother takes Keni's role as the avenger. The irony is that he is not realizing that he has set out on this mission of revenge, and the hunted is his newly transformed brother Keni. Keni meets up with a boisterous cub, called Koda and becomes his protector and friend, and later realizes that he was the "monster" that has killed Koda's mother. It is in this turn of events that Keni and his brother realize and step into the true meanings of their totems, love and wisdom. This film was a great glimpse into the belief of Indigenous Sacred Ways, from the respect of the shaman, the transitional ceremony from boyhood to manhood, the respect for the spirit world and the honor for the beauty of nature. The movie is displayed with precision and craft, from the feeling of how Indigenous people find beauty in the afterlife and the land with its great colorful imagery. We were also even introduced to Hindu/Indigenous Ways with the moose and his individual yoga, along with him acting as a guru and leading the others in yoga. The circle of life was displayed in terms of the animals as well as the humans... We Are One!

January 27, 2013 World Religions Rel 110 World Religions FON01 Spring 2013 Chapter 2 Movie Review Eddie R. Souther, Jr. Brother Bear By Walt Disney Pictures Brother Bear is a great movie, which teaches values to children as well as adults. Brother Bear is a story about a young Native American man named Kenai on the day he is to receive his Totem. This Totem is given to his by the village Shaman named Tanana. The Totem is a bear of love. Kenai and his two brothers Sitka and Denahi learn that love is the most important lesson for each of us to learn. Sitka is killed while fighting a bear and joins the spirits in the lights in the sky. These ever changing lights are believed to be spirits. Kenai is angry because of his brother's death and finds the bear and kills it. His brother now one of the light spirits changes him into a bear until he learns the lesson of love. On the journey to the mountain where the lights touch the earth, Kenai meets Koda the orphan cub of the bear he killed. The two learn to trust each other and most of all they become brothers. As the two journey they must stay one step ahead of Denahi, who is on their trail to avenge the death of his two brothers. Once reaching the top of the mountain Sitka changes Kenai back to a man and the two brothers are reunited. Kenai now wishes to remain a bear to help take care of his new brother bear. This movie also does a good job in showing the indigenous religion of the Native American people. The Shaman is a person who speaks to the spirits and the spirits speak to her. It is her job to instruct the people in the knowledge of the spirits and the oral traditions of the tribe. The native people believe the spirits have the power to change people's lives. The spirits are their ancestors and the look after them to provide help and guidance. They also have the belief that special places are sacred like the mountain and they go there to seek guidance from their ancestors. They also use initiation rituals as a rite of passage for their youth. This is a sign to the world that the boy has become a man. This was done when Kenai received his Totem. This movie does a good job showing have native people believed we are tied to the land and the animals of the world. There are two messages in this movie we should love one another and the animals we see. Also it shows the story of how indigenous people believe. When you watch the movie see if you catch the whole store.-Eddie Souther

Brother Bear is a great movie for children and adults. It is richly connected to the Native American beliefs and shows how these beliefs were followed. For the Native American's, the spirits were part of their every day life. They are constantly trying to follow their guide, or spirit animal, as they journey through this life. Brother Bear does a great job in showing this through Kenai fighting against his totem and refusing to believe what his true self was. His totem was the bear, which stands for love. He felt this was weak and not fit for him. He considered bears a threat and only saw them as monsters. He fought against this choice, and in an attempt to prove he is stronger than his totem, he is incidentally turned into a bear by his older brothers spirit. As he battles this transformation and tries to reconnect with the spirits to return to human form, he meets a young cub who seems to have lost his mother. Through his journey with this cub, he begins to realize that bears fear humans just as humans fear bears. It slowly changes his prospective on life and he begins to realize that everything is not as it seems. He eventually gets turned back into a human, but realizes that the cub needs him and chooses to stay as a bear to be with the cub. This shows how in depth the spirits are involved in the Native American beliefs. They believe that all things are connected, even animals, and have great respect for the living and the dead. Those who pass join the spirits and help guide the living through their life. Through this movie, you will realize how important it is to accept and love yourself, all the while being shown a little about the Native American beliefs as it invites you into their world.

A highly underrated movie that my girlfriend showed me!

I haven't seen nether of these movies yet, so that's why I got this Blu-ray combo pack with DVD. I was lucky enough that the case to this Blu-ray is NOT damaged. The quality of that item was actually very good. The condition of this item is good. While I was searching for more items, this one appeared to caught my attention and got me interested in buying this item. I can't wait to see this.

OK

I have loved this movie since I was a child. Soooo disheartened, as per the photo's you can see the cover is damaged to the point that if I attempt to take the DVD out, the cover will disintegrate. I do not know if the damage was from transit of not. I'm looking into that. The MOVIE from my memory is wonderful, very beautifully done with a powerful message. Would 10/10 recommend the MOVIE.

良い

Todo perfecto :)