A teenagers mythical brush with fate

Rating: 8/10 (3 November 2013)

This is a tale of the difficult concept of fate.
Merida, the princess of a clan in mythic Scottish coast-lands (supposedly around 400 AD as there's talk of both Romans and vikings being repelled by the clans cooperating) is coming of age. To her loving mother, the queen, in particular, this means she ought to take a suitor, and in general follow the path set before her as first lady of her people. At the time in question, this entails very ladylike and tame conformity indeed. Of symbolic importance is a tapestry of the mothers make and design, hinting at the many threads in the weave of fate/proposed identity. The tapestry shows merida and her mother, among others. It's the mothers design, as is the mothers ideas of how Merida needs to behave. But Merida has her own ideas of what she needs. These get her into trouble so dire that she has to acknowledge the problem of her responses to her mothers proposals as a problem to her as well, perhaps for the first time, and the movie revolves around her making the mental transition from headstrong child to struggling adult.
Brave is commonly acknowledged as state of the art of present day animation, and it is certainly a pleasure to look at the realistic yet stunningly beautiful way the wild environment has been put to life. I've rewatched the movie several times, just for that. (have it on blueray)
Some have scolded the movie for being thematically difficult to follow, or for not being funny enough. While I can understand the criticism, I think it mostly stems from trouble relating to the difficult theme: that of struggling with a supposedly set fate.
The concept of proposed fate/identity is commonly misunderstood as a deterministic outlook, these days, but has more to do with the idea of some lifestories/paths being fitting for a person, and the supposed folly of rebelling against it.
So what to do about it - this proposed 'fate' / identity Do as you're told? Do as you please? Fight anyone who would try to oppose you? Try to do right? And what is that, exactly?
Brave is about all of that, or just that: The concept of fate, and what to do about it.
The title 'Brave' is arguably a poor one, except that it is the one strain of unflinching priority that goes through all Meridas developing approaches to the question of fate/identity. She never shies away from the challenges she's facing, but to begin with, the challenges she accepts as right for her are quite different from the ones society would have her take. (Be a wife, queen, mother etc. as opposed to the challenges of defending her freedom.) To begin with, she's very self-absorbed, if still good natured in a childish fashion. As the story progresses, it becomes apparent to her that this is not good enough, even by the standards of following her own heart, which she manages to do, while it matures.
Personally, I applaud Pixar for a huge animation achievement, as well as a tale full of heart and humour, both subtle and overt, taking on a concept as difficult as the struggle for identity, in a manner so smooth and full of magic and adventure that even an early teen child might follow and enjoy it.
8 out of 10