Fantastic Mr. Fox, a stop-motion film directed by Wes
Anderson, is one of my favorite movies of all time. It is something that I can
go back to watch again and still enjoy no matter how many times I’ve already
seen it, mostly because of it’s unique style that makes it ~different~ than
anything else in the film world. I mean, I chose a quote from this movie as my
senior yearbook quote, if that’s not hardcore fangirling I don’t know what is.
Like all good movies it has talking, anthropomorphic animals. That’s not the
only thing that makes it so special. The humanity in the way these non-human
characters interact and behave illuminates relevant themes: change, adaptation,
and survival. I want to analyze two of my favorite scenes from Fantastic Mr.
Fox to see why they are so fantastic and examine how they reflect the overall
themes of the film.
The Train Set
While
cousin Kristofferson arrives at the tree to stay with his aunt and uncle while
his father recovers from double pneumonia, he shares a room with his grumpy
cousin, Ash, and it is made clear that these two young foxes are very different
and not just physically. Kristofferson is seemingly perfect: tall, has
gravitas, and is naturally athletic, the latter being something that Ash
heavily resents. Yet at bedtime after one of Ash’s tiny tantrums we see that
Kristofferson has not transitioned perfectly to his temporary life and the
stresses of an ill father and he begins to not so silently cry himself to sleep
under a huge model train set. At this point we get a glimpse of Ash’s true
character when he descends from his bed and turns on the train set to comfort
his cousin. Ash wakes up on the wrong side of the bed and is full of quirky
young angst, but that doesn’t mean he is a bad person (er, fox). Cousins become
brothers as they become higher powers, watching their little world of the train
following its tracks in hypnotic circles. (One of the little details that makes
the movie a true masterpiece is that the start of the next scene begins with a
real train running through the countryside world of where the animals live,
connecting what is to come with what has just happened).
The Wolf
So the train scene showed small aspects of the themes of change and adaptation, but this
scene is basically the culmination of those themes’ development that took place
throughout the movie. Mr. Fox and company are driving through the country after
making a daring escape and rescue when they see a wolf in the distance.
Throughout the movie, Mr. Fox has said again and again that he has a phobia of
wolves. Yet when he sees the majestic solitary creature watching them, framed
by snow capped mountains and forest on either side, he doesn’t feel fear but
rather admiration and respect. The wolf is the epitome of a wild animal, which is
why a fox who for so long made a living and created an identity off of thinking
and being like humans in order to outsmart them is afraid of it. In the same
way that Ash doesn’t accept being ~different~ from societal norms (wearing a
cape with pants tucked into the socks) Mr. Fox denies the wild side of him,
preferring to think things through rather than go off instinct. As the film
progresses he realizes what he is, at one point explaining to his wife that
he’s “a wild animal” as the reason behind some mistakes he is not proud of.
However, in an uplifting toast/pep talk we see that he accepts this part of his
character when he tells his friends and family that being wild animal is what
will save their lives. And it is. So when Foxy sees the wolf from afar it is
not fear that he feels but a newfound admiration for a beast that fully accepts
and celebrates the wildness that each animal has inside. At the same time he
realizes that he cannot live like the wolf, who doesn’t talk or wear clothes.
Nor can he be like the humans. In order to survive, the foxes and other animals
live in an in between world of instinct and intellect. Now that Mr. Fox has
adapted to the human danger by accepting the wild inside of him, he is equipped
to survive whatever conditions await him. After an attempt to converse with the
wolf to no avail, Mr. Fox simply lifts a paw in the air and the wolf does the
same. It is a sign of mutual respect. Both species are bonded to the other
because both do what they must to survive. The wolf trots back in to the forest
from whence it came and Mr. Fox and company continue to their sewer apartments
on a motorcycle. Also, the music hair-raisingly or fur-raisinlgy beautiful
What do you think? Do you like the movie as much as I do?
Agree or disagree with my analysis?
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