Discuss the ways in which Fantastic Mr. Fox is realistic, and how it is formalistic. Consider the narrative structure, the mise-en-scène (you may want to focus onthe use of cross-sections, and text), and the appearance and movements of the animal and human characters.
The color usage and the lighting in the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox shows a sense of warmth in gloom. A sense of hope in the hopelessness and a sense of improving the life in the society is evident in the movie. The questioning of Mr. Fox of his purpose in the society shows the summarization of the imagery portrayed in the movie.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a one of movies where the director uses the animal imagery to substantiate the various issues that may be presented in the society in the modern human world (Anderson 2009). In this essay, the analysis of the directorial freedom is taken into consideration with the usage if the lighting and the imagery of the animals to depict the different situations that a person faces being a part of the society. The questioning of Mr. Fox of his purpose in the society shows the summarization of the imagery portrayed in the movie. The movie is the adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel of the same name.
The existential crisis faced by the protagonist Mr. Fox is one of the quintessential questions presented in the movie. The imagery in the movie is one of the major points of the movie focusing on the different issues that plague the human society. Imagery in the movie portrays the struggles of the normal human being in the contemporary capitalistic society. The existentialist ideology and its symbolism also occur more than once in the movie. The average man’s existence in the society depends on their acceptance of the norms and the laws of the society and living by them the different shots scenes and the movie depict an autumnal shade and tinge in the movie. The animals in the movie live in the different scenarios that are the symbols of the normal respectable jobs in the society (Scott 2009). The movie very well depicts the hardships that one has to go through when they embrace their true nature and go against the norms of the society.
Image 1: Mr. Fox Discussing Existentialism
(Source: Fantastic Mr. Fox)
The scene where Mr. Fox questions his existence to the opossum is one of the turning points of the movie, which also shows the dilemma of the human emotions. The dilemma between living for the sustenance and embracing one’s true innate nature is what every human being faces in their life. The scene is low-key lit, eye level mid shot with high contrast. The shot has solid dark background, which enhances the presence of the characters stand out like they want to do in the society. The existential crisis of the fox is what every human faces in their lifetime. The fox is a wild animal a free creature who embraces his true nature of hunting for food. Mrs. Fox is a great partner of his supporting him in all of his ventures (Rybin 2014). Then a time arrives when he has to let go of all that identified him for the birth of his son. This is something every person faces in their lifetimes when they have to let go of a number of their aspirations for the sake of fitting in the society.
Every character is intricately carved in the movie to stand out as the symbols of the different images of the society. The different animals that are there in the movie are shown doing a daily job for their survival. This is great imagery of the situation where the animals kill their natural instincts to be a good fit in the society. The different animals have their own natures and their abilities that they have curbed and lived by the norms of the society. The depiction of the wolf is another important imagery in the movie (Dorey 2012). Kritofferson, is another character which stands out in his blue dresses contrary to the colors used in the movie signifying his different identity. The wolf, the only entity that Mr. Fox has a phobia of in the movie and is not shown in the movie until the very end. The wolf has always been an image of the free spirit and the embracing of the true self by the individual.
In the movie, the three farmers are the sign of the luxury and the Capitalism in the society, which shows the control they have over the society and how they try to stand against anything that goes against the pseudo-norms of the society. Their actions in the movie of trying to kill Mr. Fox in the movie, is also the symbol of the organization in today’s society trying to trod any form of freewill and the open choice in the society. They are brutal in their approach and seek to see results of their actions in the form of the death of Mr. Fox (Duncan 2015). The farmers are dull and always shown in a gloomy backdrop wearing dull colors, which show how they want the society.
Everyone in the society stands against Mr. Fox trying to kill him and his family, which shows the truth of the today’s society. The human and animal portrayal in the movie is one of the major examples of the perceptions about them that the director wants the audience to feel. The animals in the movie are richly colored and show a wide array of emotions compared to the humans. The humans in the movie are shown either trying to kill the animals or being unperturbed by whatever is going around them, which sums up the society today. Either the society will reject anyone who is a misfit and embraces their inner self or turn a blind eye towards the hardships they face in their survival (Halberstam 2015). The overall sustenance of the individuals in society depends on the factor of their abiding by the social norms.
The existentialism questioned in the movie by Mr. Fox also calls for an alternative imagery in the society. With the constantly decreasing habitat for the wild animals, they are forced to live among the humans in the society. In that scenario, they are also forced to follow the norms of the human society, which is unacceptable among the humans in the society. this is very evident in the movies as the animals are not allowed to hunt as they may harm the livestock of the society (McClelland 2015). the animals to are mostly shown living in dark places, as they live by the human norms of the society rather than being themselves.
The habitat of the animals is harmed in the situation and they have to take resort to other forms. One of the scenes that answer the major question of existentialism in the movie is when Mr. Fox asks the rat why he chose to be against the animals and with the humans and his wants in life. His answer shows that as long as the person knows their wants in life, no matter how trivial the thing may sound, it justifies their actions in the society.
The existentialist crisis of Mr. Fox and all the animals are solved when they choose to live out of their comfort zones and accept what they are. Their acceptances of their true selves come at a price but they are happy in the end. The raising of voice by Mr. Fox is an important scene, which shows that the person should embrace their true nature to understand their part in the society and help in their survival (Nilsson 2016). The chiaroscuro shade of the lighting is also shown a number of times in the movie when Mr. Fox tries to embrace his real self and convince others to accept theirs. The contrast of colors in these scenes show the change Mr. Fox has after accepting his real self and living by it. An agile creature of young demeanor replaces the worn out old fox questioning existentialism.
The depiction of the wolf in the dark black color along with the white background of the snow helps the people in understanding the importance of being true to their nature. The wolf is the only creature in the movie, which is not shown as a human image. This is because it tends to accept its wild nature and live in the hardships of the nature. The true free spirit, which is not humanized and the animal which all the society wishes to become by embracing themselves (Baschiera 2012). The acceptance of one’s true nature is perhaps one of the most important questions presented in the film.
Therefore, in this movie Wes Anderson uses a number of symbolism and imagery so that it stands to the level of the novels it is based on. The moral dilemmas faced by individuals in the society along with existential crisis are well depicted in the movie. The colors used in the movie help in the depiction of the setting the mood of the movie and showing the change that the individual has after accepting their true nature and the role in the society.
References
Anderson, W. (2009). Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). [online] IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432283/ [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].
Baschiera, S., 2012. Nostalgically man dwells on this earth: objects and domestic space in The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Ltd. New Review of Film and Television Studies, 10(1), pp.118-131.
Dorey, T., 2012. Fantastic Mr Filmmaker: paratexts and the positioning of Wes Anderson as Roald Dahl’s cinematic heir. New Review of Film and Television Studies, 10(1), pp.169-185.
Duncan, M., 2015. Consumerism, Aristotle and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Film-Philosophy, 19, pp.249-269.
Halberstam, J., 2015. Pussy and Other Riots. The Routledge Companion to Art and Politics, p.184.
McClelland, J.B., 2015. Roald Dahl and Philosophy: A Little Nonsense Now and Then ed. by Jacob M. Held. Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, 40(2), pp.210-212.
Nilsson, J.A., 2016. A Pedagogical Review of The Film Experience: An Introduction. Mise-en-scène| The Journal of Film & Visual Narration, 1(1).
Rybin, S., 2014. The Jellyfish and the Moonlight: Imagining the Family in Wes Anderson’s Films. The Films of Wes Anderson: Critical Essays on an Indiewood Icon, p.39.
Scott, A. 2009. Wes Anderson’s Animated Film of a Roald Dahl Book. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/movies/13fantastic.html [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].
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