I’ve seen Ferdinand now. His journey resonates deeply with me personally, I feel like I’ve lived through it myself. My exegesis skills are rusty, so this will probably devolve into alternations between story and plot. I’d like to at least post the core of his story (and quotes that moved me) to share here with anyone else who might be touched by it. Spoilers obviously abound:

Ferdinand, a young bull, plays peacefully on a farm with Nina, the farmer’s young child. Though he is meant to grow into a prized fighting bull, Ferdinand doesn’t want this. He loves flowers and longs only to appreciate their fragrance.

Over time, Ferdinand watches as the strongest adult bulls including his father are chosen and taken from the farm to the Ranch, a training ground to be readied for the Arena, where they will face Bullfighters in feats of glory. Ferdinand grows to be a large, physically magnificent Bull, but he still has no desire to fight anyone.

Nina goes to Market with her father and warns Ferdinand not to come, but Ferdinand is torn between wishing to go and wishing to do as he is told. He decides to go. Sure enough, the danger shows itself when Ferdinand accidentally causes a commotion and unintended damage all over the market. Ferdinand the Bull attempts to break nothing in the china shop, and he manages to save a baby during the chaos, but he can’t stop the market sellers from stampeding away from him left and right.

Nina tells everyone that Ferdinand is gentle, but the authorities say he is violent, and that they need to take him away. Thus Ferdinand is forcefully taken to the Ranch. There, Ferdinand meets the other bulls from his youth, and it so happens that his growth has dwarfed theirs by far. At first, the other bulls distrust Ferdinand, but over time they come to appreciate his genuineness and good intentions.

All the bulls are nervous when “El Primero,” the greatest ever Bullfighter, comes to the Ranch. He wants to fight the strongest bull there; it will be the final fight of his career. One bull against the best bull-fighter, “THE BEST AGAINST THE BEST!"

While training, one of the bulls is taken away to the Chop House when he cannot perform to his highest potential. Ferdinand despairs. He thinks that bull was manipulated, confused, and that he doesn’t deserve to be sent to the Chop House. In response Ferdinand is called a Flower Bull, too peaceful for his nature, and is lectured that every bull is either a Fighter or Meat. Ferdinand is said to be Meat. If Ferdinand wants not to be Chopped too, then he must act like the fighting bull he was born to be.

Ferdinand resists this notion, assisting another bull to be able to see better and thus perform better, even though that bull is his competition. The fellow bull asks, “You’ve given me a fighting chance, Ferdinand. Why would you do such a thing?” Ferdinand explains, “If we don’t look out for each other, who will?”

Ferdinand tells the other bulls that they should all run away from the Ranch together so that they don’t wind up being shipped to the Chop House. The Roughest other bull scoffs, “You think you’re different, but you’re not.” Another says, “It’s a bull-fight-bull world.” Ferdinand retorts, “It doesn’t HAVE to be that way. I’ll take you to my home. It’s different there!”

Since the others disbelieve him, Ferdinand goes off to escape on his own. He sneaks through the Rancher’s villa, and sees a multitude of horns hung across the walls, trophies from all the conquered bulls that passed through the Ranch before. “My dad,” Ferdinand realizes, “He was the bravest bull I knew. He really believed he could beat the Matador! All of them did… the bull never wins…” Ferdinand turns back, warning the other bulls that “You’ll get to fight in a big fancy arena… but I’m telling you it’s just another Chop House!”

The Rough bull gets angry, thinking that the Arena is the only destination for true bulls, and that they must fight, and that Ferdinand is a coward. He attacks Ferdinand, and in the scuffle Ferdinand accidently severs one of the Rough bull’s horns. El Primero has been watching from afar, and points down at Ferdinand from high upon a balcony. “That one is the best bull. I’ll fight him tomorrow.” The Rough bull is sent overnight to the Chop House.

Ferdinand decides not to escape the Ranch. “I’m not leaving… not unless EVERYONE is coming with me…” The other bulls join him in attempting a rescue of the Rough bull, but he doesn’t want to be rescued. He believes he deserves to be Meat. “It doesn’t have to be that way,” Ferdinand exclaims. “You’re more than just a set of horns. Come with us! You can live your own life now, but not if you give up.” The Rough bull resists, and Ferdinand leaves.

The other bull earlier sent to the Chop House is spotted, he hasn’t been Chopped just yet. He hangs from a harness headed for meat grinders. Ferdinand tries to free him but fails. At the very last moment the Rough bull charges in to succeed instead! The three bulls work together and break out of the Chop House, then join the other bulls and flee the Ranch as the rancher gives fervent chase, first in vehicles, then by footrace.

Ferdinand pushes all the other bulls onto a speeding train, then turns to stop those who seek their capture. He is caught himself. Imprisoned, he is driven to the Bullfighting Arena to face off against El Primero, the greatest Bull-Fighter. There, one of his friends tries to encourage him. “Ferdinand, listen, ok? You are the bravest bull I know. You can do this, but you’re gonna have to fight… just this one time…”

The destined day of the Bullfight has come. Ferdinand still wishes desperately not to fight. As he is forced into the arena, the bullfighter’s assistants surround and prod Ferdinand forward, provoking him to charge the Bullfighter. At first, Ferdinand is indeed manipulated by the Bullfighter’s skills, but then in a tumult of movements, he winds up flipping and carrying the Bullfighter on his back. In a frenzy of struggle, Ferdinand ultimately tosses the Bullfighter out of the ring. Enraged, the Bullfighter returns with deadly weapons to put a sharp end to Ferdinand’s circumvention of tradition: the Bullfighter always wins.

In a startling reversal, Ferdinand dances about, dodging the Bullfighter with his own cape impaled upon his horns. The crowd cheers for Ferdinand. Suddenly the Bullfighter’s weapon grazes Ferdinand’s flank, and he roars, lifting the Bullfighter up by his coat. The Bullfighter hangs helplessly from Ferdinand’s horns as the Bull huffs into his face, enraged.

Before Ferdinand goes too far, he notices a rose that the Bullfighter had earlier tossed aside, and remembers that he has no desire to commit murder, nor even fight at all. He sees the abject terror in the Bullfighter’s eyes, and lowers him safely to the ground. The Bullfighter, confused, retrieves his cape and backs away.

Ferdinand sniffs the discarded rose, recalling vividly the serene landscape where he was lovingly raised in peace by Nina. He returns to his senses as he hears the Bullfighter approach him again warily with a sword. Ferdinand stands his ground, unwilling to fight but also unwilling to retreat. The moment hangs…

Ferdinand plants himself and sits down, looking with determination into the Bullfighter’s eyes. Nina arrives at the arena, rushing to the edge of the ring. The Bullfighter lunges, his blade aimed at Ferdinand’s heart…

A spectator in the crowd shouts, “Let him live!” Another joins in, “Spare the Bull!” “Let him go!” The crowd stands as one. Eventually respecting the crowd’s cries, the Bullfighter nods gruffly to Ferdinand, turns, and leaves.

Nina runs forward to embrace Ferdinand. “I thought I’d never see you again!” she cries. The other bulls charge fiercely into the arena, but are relieved to find the fight is over, and Ferdinand is safe. “Flower Bull did it…” says the Rough bull. The crowd roars with elation.

Ferdinand and the other bulls are transported back to the farm where Ferdinand spent his youth, raised by the farmer alongside Nina. Ferdinand bounds across a warm meadow of wildflowers and Butterflies, to stand beside the tree he missed so very much from his childhood. There, atop a hill overlooking valleys and forest, Ferdinand and all the other bulls sit together, basking in the sunset.