Brave: The Story of Merida

Produced by Katherine Sarafian for Pixar Animation Studios, the film ‘Brave’ was released in 2012 by Walt Disney Pictures (Alegre, 2021). The film won both an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Animated Feature Film and received ten Annie Award nominations, winning two for Production Design and Animation Effects (Alegre, 2021).

Set in the fictional medieval times of Scotland, the animated film follows the story of Merida (Hewa, 2022), an independent and adventurous princess of the DunBroch clan who refuses to conform to the traditional expectations of her family. Her mother, Queen Elinor, has grand plans for her: Merida must marry a nobleman to ensure the stability of the kingdom. But Merida wants to control her own destiny (Alegre, 2021).

When her mother forces her to participate in a ceremony in which Scottish clans present their sons as potential husbands, Merida decides to rebel. She enters the archery contest for her own hand, and with one impressive shot, she literally and figuratively destroys the expectations placed on her. Her rebellion leads to a conflict with her mother, which escalates when Merida enlists the help of a witch. The spell she is given to "change" her mother has unexpected consequences: Merida turned her mother into a bear. This forces Merida to face her own mistakes and discover the true meaning of courage (Alegre, 2021).

Unlike previous Disney and Pixar films, Brave breaks the traditional princess mould and offers a radically different perspective. The film's main focus is personal growth and self-discovery. Instead of a love story, Brave’s emotional core is the mother-daughter relationship. The film breaks traditional gender roles by featuring a female protagonist who doesn’t need a prince to determine her destiny (Alegre, 2021).

Brave Trailer © Pixar