ASSESSMENT 1: SHORT ANALYTICAL ESSAY

A comparison between the film and novel versions of “Fantastic Mr Fox”

Literary texts have the power to build human experiences and relationships, by
provoking individual’s imaginations through literary techniques. Through literature,
individuals gain the ability to wander around inside the story and welcome
themselves into a new ‘world’, which is an essential element for personal growth.
The literary texts “Fantastic Mr Fox”, a 1970 novel by Roald Dahl and the 2009
adaption film “Fantastic Mr Fox” by Wes Anderson, appeal to viewers through the
key literary elements of setting and characterisation. This essay will explore the ways
in which the characterisation of Mr Fox and the setting of the Animal’s feast,
collaborate with language, sound, and image to create literature. The similarities and
differences between both versions will also be explored, unpacking language
techniques; such as nouns, imagery, personification and simile and multimodal
techniques; such as colour, sound and camera angles.

Setting conveys the context in which the story occurs and is a crucial literary element
as it allows readers to partake in the human experience. Both the novel and the film
‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ consist of many different settings, composed in various ways such
as character and place. For instance, the scene of ‘The great feast’ is a significant
setting in the novel as it creates a sense of unity and security between the animals.
Through the language techniques; Simile, Imagery and Extended noun groups,
Badger describes the taste of the cider stating; “It’s like melted gold, like drinking
sunbeams and rainbows!” Badger’s use of descriptive diction therefore allows
viewers to celebrate the animal’s successes, as it is through the motif of food that the
animals unite. Within the film, setting is established through the use of visual and
multimodal techniques. ‘The Grand Feast’ scene in the movie also creates a sense
of unity, as the composer uses yellow and orange lighting, which provides a warm
and comforting tone towards the viewers. The camera angle selected in the scene
also has the same effect, where all animals are seated on one large table together in
unity, as shown through a wide angle shot. The key similarities and differences
between both versions, however, are explored through the setting and context of the
texts. The novel version appears to be set in a historical period in England, which is
also explored through the film in the scene of the feast. Anderson chooses to design
the dinner table just like the Medieval times, where candles, roast chicken, grapes
and wine are placed on a large table. This portrays a similarity between both the film
and the novel where the historical context of both texts interconnect. However, the
film appears to be set in an American context during the 1960s which reveals the
main difference between the setting of both texts. Anderson therefore chose to
combine the historical context and social American context in his adaptation, in order
to attract young viewers of society today.

Characterisation is a fundamental literary element in literature as it aims to build the

relationship between the reader and the story. Within the characterisation of Mr and
Mr’s Fox’s children, there is a major difference between the film and novel. In the
novel, Mr Fox has 4 sons, yet in the film, Mr. Fox has only one son named Ash, who
plays a prominent role in the movie. By choosing to do so, this allows a focus on one
character rather than four and can hence express the strong father-son relationship
between both characters in the film. Anderson’s adaption of ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ is
seen as more meaningful as the character traits are expanded on and explored in
more depth. In the film, Mr Fox’s characterisation is explored through a range of
multimodal features such as visual techniques and sound effects. This is evident in
the scene where Mrs Fox confronts Mr Fox about his stealing, as the composer
reveals this through extreme close up shots of both characters. Anderson chose this
type of camera shot to generate the reaction of both characters where their emotions
become closely visible. The use of non-diegetic sound also helps create an
atmosphere and mood for viewers. In the novel, Mr and Mr’s fox’s characters are
constructed through language techniques such as; personification, where Mrs Fox
praises Mr Fox’s actions stating; “If it wasn’t for your father, we should all be dead by
now. Your father is a fantastic Fox.” This scene directly contrasts to the identical
scene in the film, as in the movie, Mr’s Fox reveals her inner emotions and cries,
ordering her husband not to steal, yet in the novel, she does the opposite and
understands that her husband must steal in order to provide for his family. Moreover,
Anderson has the ability to explore characters in depth throughout the movie,
through the use of visual and sound effects, in comparison to a novel where literary
techniques are limited.
Furthermore, the literary elements of setting and characterisation are explored in
both the film and the novel ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’. This is constructed through the
language and multimodal resources that are used to discuss similarities and
differences of both versions. These key elements are therefore crucial as not only
does literature educate others and develop greater knowledge, but also stimulate the
imagination where one can develop a relationship with the world.
References:

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