Film Studies II - Fantastic Mr Fox

Fantastic Mr Fox is a American stop-motion film directed by Wes Anderson in year 2009. The film is based on Roald Dahl's same name children's novel. The message contain in this film is how one man trying to manage his relationship problem with others and how he used his intelligence to turnover a crisis into opportunity.

Fantastic Mr Fox is about the life of Mr. Fox. When his wife, Felicity was pregnant, Mr. Fox promised her not to steal and get a decent job for their family, but he broke his word and went to raid the three well known wealthy and evil farmers in the valley, Bean, Bunce and Boggis farm with his friend, Kylie and Felicity's nephew, Kristofferson. Three of them been spotted stealing and the three farmers plan to hunt down Mr. Fox, this has lead Mr fox's family and his friends involve into the crisis of being hunt.

Mr. Fox is a very cunning but incredibly clever than the three farmer and an expert at planning things, this personality is fully shown at the scene where he is trying to loot Bean's, Bunce's and Boggis's farm. Even though he is clever, he has ignore his responsible as a father which make his son, Ash trying to get more attention from him by perfecting himself on everything, including stealing.

In my opinion, the director has play well with the camera technique in this film. I found that most character was filmed in the center of the scene when they were newly introduced in the film.

Most part in the film when presenting Mr. Fox, he was always in the center part of the scene to remind audience this is the life story of Mr. Fox.

Wes Anderson uses wide angle in certain scene to establish the setting of places in the film.

Boggis's farm

Boggis's house indoor composition

Boggis, Bean and Bunce at Mr. Fox's hideout

Boggis, Bean and Bunce in town

Wes Anderson also loves to play with symmetry angle. The character was placed at the center and and object around was placed in symmetry angle to show balance.

Felicity talking to Mr. Fox in the beginning scene

Kristofferson practicing yoga

Scene where Mr. Fox's family moves to new place

Director show the emotion and atmosphere needed for the situation by playing with the lighting. At the beginning of the film, the dusk has gives a feel like how Mr. Fox remembered his memory that he promise with Felicity to get a job for their family when they were trapped in a cage.

At the scene where Rat appeared as he caught Mr. Fox and his teammate, the lighting become focus onto him to show he is the villain character.

The color mainly see in this film is orange color. Orange color brings out the meaning of warm, sociability, happiness, youth, friendly and exotic in a film. As I watch the film, I can feel it is a really warm film when Mr. Fox interacting with his wife to show their intimate relationship.

Props also plays an important role in the film. As example, Mr. Fox has play a role as thief in certain scene, but I think that the prop doesn't suit like his job, as the character just simply put on a bandit mask and pretend it has change his identity while he is still wearing his nice fashion looking coat.

In conclusion, we know that it is not easy to film a stop-motion film as it usually takes longer period to be done than usual film, since they need to model the character, capture photo and arrange the sequence one-by-one.