Anderson: 'Fantastic Mr Fox is communist'

[bcbm]

Thursday, October 15 2009, 8:00am EDT
By Simon Reynolds (http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a182004/anderson-fantastic-mr-fox-is-communist.html?imdb#), Movies Editor

Wes Anderson has described his latest film Fantastic Mr Fox as communist.

The animated movie, an adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved children's book, tells of a cunning Fox (George Clooney) and his family stealing food from evil farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean.

"I do think the movie and Roald Dahl are anarchic," Anderson observed at the film's London Film Festival press conference. "The movie's a bit of a Robin Hood story so it's a bit communist, I think."

The US director, whose credits include Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic, said that his childhood affection for Dahl's book prompted him to make the movie.

"This was actually the first book I ever personally owned, officially my property," he stated. "It was a book I loved as a child and also it was the book that introduced me to Roald Dahl's work in general. It made a big impression on me."

Fantastic Mr Fox opens the London Film Festival tonight before debuting in UK cinemas on October 23.http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a182004/anderson-fantastic-mr-fox-is-communist.html?imdb

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[GPDP]

I...

Well, um...

what

[bcbm]

it has foxes in ski masks robbing rich people. i'm gonna fuckin see it

[Uncle Hank]

it has foxes in ski masks robbing rich people. i'm gonna fuckin see it
Next thing you know they're burning churches. :laugh:
Also George Clooney and Willem Dafoe's voices... hopefully not too much of a good thing

[bcbm]

Next thing you know they're burning churches. :laugh:


its a robin hood tale, not a burzum tale.;)

[Uncle Hank]

its a robin hood tale, not a burzum tale.;)
I was thinking more a tale of "The Tragic Week" although my knowledge of such activities is limited so I could be making no sense. :(

[berlitz23]

maybe i will see it but wes anderson's films are grossly overrated and I hate how he is touted as a great original voice in american cinema

[bcbm]

maybe i will see it but wes anderson's films are grossly overrated and I hate how he is touted as a great original voice in american cinema

i'm not much of a film buff, so i don't know how original he really is but i've always enjoyed his work. the fact that he always uses bill murray is enough for me.:thumbup1:

[rednordman]

Something that has kind of made me wonder is that of whether Mr Dahl himself may have had some communist sympathies. I mean some of his stories do kind of have a marxist outlook. Like Willy Wonker ATCF, for example, Where he portrayed the Umpa Lumpas as a oppressed class, solely alive just to help produce sweets. Also, with all the contestant winners who have gone to every immorall length to get a ticket (paying people alot of cash to give them it etc). Yet at the end, it is the honest and good moralled working class child/fammily who actually prospers.

I dont know, its either that or mabey I have finally drank myself too insanity? who knows?

[Uncle Hank]

I dont know, its either that or mabey I have finally drank myself too insanity? who knows?
Either one sounds like time well spent to me. :thumbup1:

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

I am fucking watching this film.

[rednordman]

Either one sounds like time well spent to me. :thumbup1:Drinking yourself to insanity is fucking awesome!!....Untill you realise that you have have not actually achieved it and have to actually deal with the physical consequences the whole of the next day..or two...or three....or four.

[Pogue]

I hate it when people attribute things like this as 'communist', its a robin hood story, it doesn't have an articulate theoretical element to it putting forward a vision of a classless, stateless society acheived through working class revolution, does it.

[rednordman]

I hate it when people attribute things like this as 'communist', its a robin hood story, it doesn't have an articulate theoretical element to it putting forward a vision of a classless, stateless society acheived through working class revolution, does it.It doesnt need it to be fair, its just a movie aimed primarily at kids. It just puzzles me as to why the director openly used the word 'communist' to describe the movie, when penultimatly, as you stated, its just a robin hood tale. Was he just trying to cash in on the ever increasing discontent the public has for greedy rich people since they had to bail out the banks?

[which doctor]

i'm not much of a film buff, so i don't know how original he really is but i've always enjoyed his work. the fact that he always uses bill murray is enough for me.:thumbup1:
Yeah, Bill Murray is god. He's actually the only actor I don't mind seeing over and over again in different movies. I could do without Owen Wilson though.

[Pogue]

It doesnt need it to be fair, its just a movie aimed primarily at kids. It just puzzles me as to why the director openly used the word 'communist' to describe the movie, when penultimatly, as you stated, its just a robin hood tale. Was he just trying to cash in on the ever increasing discontent the public has for greedy rich people since they had to bail out the banks?

probably just an off hand comment.