She explains that a princess “rises early, is compassionate, patient, cautious, clean, and above all, a princess strives for, well, perfection.” This expectation of perfection is contrasted sharply against Merida’s unruly hair and the things her mother scolds her for-her doodling, chortling, and dinner etiquette. The Queen outlines the traits her daughter must strive for, expectations which were undoubtedly imparted upon herself as a young girl. She is shown under the close guidance of her mother practicing careful pronunciation, learning the geography of her kingdom, and playing the lyre. Some years later, Merida grudgingly participates in the tasks expected of a princess, showing that her life's purpose has been dictated by her sex and status and with little regard for her interests or skills. The importance of legends in Brave is reminiscent of the heroic epics and Arthurian myths of medieval literature, and within this context Merida can be seen as the protagonist in a role that has often been masculine-dominated. King Fergus fights off the bear but loses a leg in the process, a story that becomes legend. This scene from Merida’s childhood also features the evil bear Mer’du, who attempts to attack the young Princess and her mother. The Queen (Emma Thompson), who has spent her life adhering to the expectations placed on royal women, chides her husband for this unladylike gift. Archery is Merida’s greatest joy and talent, although it is a sport associated with male medieval characters like Robin Hood rather than princesses. The film begins with a scene from Merida’s childhood-as a birthday gift, her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), presents her with a bow. The opening scene of Brave introduces several of the film's central themes-Merida as an active and therefore nontraditional princess, her family dynamic as a representation of, and challenge to, the gendered expectations of medieval Scotland, and the truths behind legends. Brave directly acknowledges strictly defined gender roles while also challenging them.

Some critics have argued that Merida exhibits more agency than previous Disney princesses-her story, for example, does not involve being rescued by a prince (Nowlan and Finch, 127). One of the main differences between those films and Brave is the lack of a romantic interest for protagonist Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald). A well deserved 8/10 from me, and if anyone is questioning this review as being fake, click on my user name and you will see my 1000+ ratings and 600+ reviews.Brave (2012), a Disney / Pixar animated film directed by Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews, takes a semi-radical approach towards the depiction of gender roles, especially when compared to previous Disney animated princess tales. An all around excellent suspenseful film I found very realistic and produced excellently. The rest of the cast also performed quite well, especially since I've never seen or heard of them. It was great to see Armand Assante, and he did fit his characters role, but I did have trouble understanding some of his dialogue.

Louis Mandylor shined in his role and was convincing throughout. The pacing was perfect and the 103 min length flew by with the constant suspense of the story. The first-ever writing/screenplay debut by Marco Balsamo was outstanding, who was also cast and produced this film. The cinematography and color choices where perfect for this films setting and story. Otherwise his camera work and directing his cast was amazing.

Novice director William Kaufman was fairly impressive with this film, although I could have done without the shaky-cam moments. The score was sheer perfection and maintained constant tension throughout the entire film. This film is based on true events and was filmed primarily in Albania and Bulgaria, and thus the international setting was a refreshing change. This film had no Hollywood flair in it at all simple yet effective scenes, excellent choreographed action sequences with realistic fight/bullet wounds, and no over-hyped unconvincing scenarios. I wasn't expecting much going into this film but was pleasantly surprised. One of the best low budget (2m) internationally produced B-grade films I've seen, and better than some of the recent Hollywood blockbusters with A-list actors.

Brave movie