Wes Anderson’s first stop motion animation film is a gem that I’ve recently discovered. The world of Fantastic Mr. Fox instantly drew me in with its cast of unique characters, vibrant colors, and set design. This movie tells the story of Mr. Fox, an ambitious and adventurous fox who gets his family into quite a bit of trouble once he decides to come out of retirement to pull off one last heist. The movie creates a very cozy and wondrous atmosphere with its use of color schemes and saturation to make everything look more vibrant and fantastical. The way in which the movie is shot also contributes to this fantastical element, having the shots consist of a stationary camera that zeroes in on one character while there is movement in the background. Wes Anderson’s style utilizes symmetrical sets with color coordinated shots, which is what first drew me into the movie. Fantastic Mr. Fox was the first film that I watched that had this kind of style and once I hit play I couldn’t look away from the screen.
The wonder in this movie starts from the very first scenes which show a title card with a nursery rhyme and then a shot of a hand holding the book that the movie is based on. The music, composed by Alexandre Desplat, plays a huge part in creating the magical atmosphere. Desplat focused on making soft sounding melodies that make you feel like you are in the middle of a warm fall day or like you’re running through the fields. The dialogue uses very straight forward humor, oftentimes it may sound sort of monotone but really it’s just the matter-of-fact way in which the characters deliver their lines. The main colors in this movie are orange, yellow, and red and this combination is found everywhere in the film. The fields that Mr. and Mrs. Fox walk in, the foxes’ coats, Mrs. Fox’s dress, the sky, the factories belonging to the three farmers, and the lighting all fit into this color scheme. The only times the coloring changes is when it’s night time and the original color scheme blends with blue tones and after the climax of the film, where the colors are blended with gray and are less vibrant to represent the troubling atmosphere that is developing.
My favorite scenes from this film happen during the second half and are almost presented back to back. The first has got to be the feast scene, which happens after the animals have outsmarted the human farmers and decide to have a feast with the produce that they stole from the farms. Every character is present in this scene and the colors are extremely vibrant; the lights seem brighter, and everyone is sitting at this beautiful table filled with the objects that Mr. Fox thinks represents his life’s work and greatest achievement.
My second favorite scene comes after the farmers flood the animals out of their hiding spot and they are all at a loss as to what their next move shall be. Mr. Fox stands in front of a waterfall alone before he is approached by Mrs. Fox and the two have a heart-to-heart. This scene is a direct contrast to the previous one. While the feast scene is very vibrant and lively, the waterfall scene is stripped of its brightness. The usual color scheme is missing since we are only focusing on a blue-grayish waterfall and the figures of Mr. and Mrs. Fox. Here is where Mr. Fox admits that it was his own ambition and greed for recognition that has upended the lives of his family and friends. This scene is also when we get a direct reference to the title with Mr. Fox referring to himself as ‘the Fantastic Mr. Fox’ to his wife when he tells her of his need for recognition.
This movie has so many great or, better yet, fantastic scenes that I could fill twenty pages talking about each one of them. Wes Anderson took Roald Dahl’s book and transported this unlikely group of characters to the big screen and created a story about family, aspirations, and what it truly means to be remembered. Thanks to his brilliant use of color, he also created a movie with the perfect fall atmosphere. If you still haven’t had the chance to experience this film, there is truly no better time than now.