A Girl, a Fox and a Beautiful Adventure

     After Hugo and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, The Fox and the Child, directed by Luc Jacquet is probably next on my list of beautiful, little-known movies. This film also has a strong French feel—probably more so than Hugo. The original dialogue is even French, with a voice-over for us English-speakers. (It’s a little vexing when the girl’s mouth doesn’t line up with the words that are being spoken.) (: As many French things are, this movie is extremely beautiful and fine. The story, acting and scenery is enchanting. 

     The story begins when a young girl (Bertille Noel-Burneau) meets a little fox on her way home from school in the fall. She decides to try to become friends with the little creature and thus begins the adventure. As the leaves fall and the snowy days set in, she heads out into the woods in search of her fox.

     At last, spring arrives and the young girl (one never discovers her name) is once again out and about in the hills of France, searching for her fox. She finally finds its den and as Lily, the fox, becomes accustomed to the girl, the two start to go on adventures together. 

     They traverse all over the enchanting forests of France and up into the great mountains. They have a flurry of adventures together, including several that could be deemed dangerous. At the end of the movie, Lily arrives at the little girl’s doorstep. The girl is excited to show her room off and guides Lily through the house to her loft. It is only then that Lily’s wild spirit breaks out. She goes crazy, breaking everything in sight. It is during this episode that the little girl finally realizes that Lily is a wild animal. No matter how much of a friend she is, she is still an animal. The Fox and the Child is a beautiful movie with a very simple message: nature is precious and it should be respected. 

     The actress, Noel-Burneau, does an excellent job as a lonely little girl looking for a friend. With her red hair and purple sweater and pants, she is also extremely cute. Though she does not say much, she is very good at portraying emotion. This is proof of her fine abilities as a young actress. If she had carried much of her emotion through her voice, much of this would have been lost when her words were voiced-over, so it is good her face conveys her lines for her. She is the only human in the whole movie, and she carries that weight with an easy grace and profound cuteness. 

     The movie, filmed in Eastern France and Italy, is also full of wonderful scenery, from the grand mountains to the dark inside of a dangerous cave. There is also a thrilling handful of animals that the young girl stumbles across—from a pack of timber wolves to a large, lumbering bear. There are bright sunny days in the forests of the tall mountains, and there are howling, dark wintery days. The movie portrays a wonderful feeling of wild beauty, a place that is not often disturbed—and that ought not to be disturbed too often. 

     While the movie is certainly not boring, it requires a certain amount of patience and open-mindedness to begin enjoying it. It is a step back from busy life and a cool, refreshing movie to watch—both because of its beauty and its warm themes of friendship and respect of nature. There could not be a better story or scenery to go along with the themes. I hope you watch it and enjoy it as much as I do.