Review of Brother Bear (2003) by Harmony N — 29 Jan 2012

Brother Bear is a film about three brothers, Kenai, Denahi, and Sitka. Their tribe believes in magic which comes from the northern lights. They believe these lights are spirits of their ancestors. The movie begins with Kenai, whoâ(TM)s about to receives his sacred totem, the bear of love, which lets him know what he needs to become a man.

Early in the movie, Sitka is killed by a bear. The shaman burns his remains, and Sitkaâ(TM)s spirit join the sacred lights of their ancestors. Kenai sets off to avenge his brotherâ(TM)s death by killing the bear. After killing the bear, Kenai is transformed into a bear himself by his brotherâ(TM)s spirit. Kenai is instructed by the shaman to find where the lights meet the earth and right his wrong to the bear to transform back into a man.

Kenai becomes ensnared by a trap. A bear cub who has lost his mother, Koda, agrees to help Kenai escape if he goes with him to a salmon run. The two bears develop a brotherly relationship during their journey. They are almost killed several times by Denahi, who doesnâ(TM)t know the older bear is his brother.

When they reach the salmon run, they are met by a large family of bears. The two bears quickly become comfortable with their new friends. Koda tells a story about how he lost his mother after being attacked by a hunter. Kenai quickly realizes that the bear that he killed was Kodaâ(TM)s mother and he runs away. Koda catches up to him and Kenai explains what happened to his mother from his point of view. Koda then runs away in sorrow.

Upon reaching the mountain, Kenai reunites with Denahi who tries to kill him because he thinks heâ(TM)s a bear. Koda reappears to try to save Kenai. When Kenai uses his love for Koda to protect him from Denahiâ(TM)s attack, Sitka appears and turns Kenai back into a human because Kenai has become his totem, the bear of love, and thus has become a man. Kenaiâ(TM)s love for Koda prompts him to convince Sitka to turn him back into a bear. Koda is reunited with his motherâ(TM)s spirit. Kodaâ(TM)s mother and Sitkaâ(TM)s spirits are then returned to the sacred lights. Denahi returns to his tribe and tells the story of his brother becoming a man by becoming a bear.

This film provides emotional insight into the beliefs of indigenous religions, like the Native Americans. Both the humans and the bears believe that their ancestorâ(TM)s spirits are in the northern lights, which control all parts of the magical changes in life, like the changing of the seasons, the cycles of the moon, and the metamorphosis of animals. Like the movie, the Native Americans also believe their ancestors help to shape the cycles of life. Also like the movie, Native Americanâ(TM)s spiritual leader is a shaman and many tribes believe in sacred animal totems. They also believe in a rite of passage to manhood, like Kenaiâ(TM)s journey.