MovieChat Forums > Le renard et l'enfant (2008) Discussion > Did anyone else.....

Did anyone else.....

posted 14 years ago by shanny_banany
4 replies | jump to latest

feel really sad, anxious, and upset for the fox and her confusion once she was closed in the little girl's bedroom? Her panic and fear of being trapped and boxed in was so palpable and heartbreaking. I knew when the fox started panicking that she would probably fling herself through the window. But it didn't stop me from just sobbing when I saw her little body splayed out on the ground below. I was just bawling. It also was a saddening realization that however much the little girl wanted it, and even the Lily the fox seemed to want it too, that they could never really join their two lives, because they were too different. It just seemed like such a hard, hurtful event and realization for such a little girl to come to, and really felt like the breaking of a strong bond. Maybe I'm reading way too much into it, but the pain and unselfishness involved in allowing something you love so much to slip away because it is what is best is really a global, adult, and all-encompassing theme that applies way beyond the simple plot of the movie. A hard lesson for anyone, much less a young child.

SIG:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYoTJItSPt0

[–] PimpSmackersGOM 14 years ago

I completely agree. I, for one, admire the filmmakers for having the guts to put in such a real and emotional ending.

clear emotions guide / to the gates of open mind / leave the shame behind / peace is by your side

[–] psdhart 13 years ago

I too agree

[–] Prelude-In-C-Mj 12 years ago

That was a terribly upsetting scene, yes. I was crying too. I really thought the fox would have to be dead after that; I was actually pretty surprised that she survived.

About the lesson learned that they "can't really be friends" as the narration put it -- I was wondering why the lesson couldn't be simply that the girl can't actually keep the fox as a house-pet, but could continue to be friends on the fox's terms?

I notice you say "they could never really join their lives" but in a sense actually they already had it all. They had a beautiful, fully connected friendship to as far a degree as it could possibly go. The girl did of course find out that this animal would never want to be inside a house and hang out with her in her environment in a reciprocation of how the girl hung out with the fox in her environment.

If only the bond of trust hadn't been broken, they could have continued spending time together ad infinitum, but instead the attempt to show her around the house broke everything they'd built in terms of trust.

I think ultimately the message in that is not that they could never be properly part of each other's lives, but more that they WERE part of each other's lives but the boundary was pushed and that ruined it.

A really wonderful film -- but yes, that ending is sad. I was just relieved that the fox was still alive, but yep, sad lesson still.

[–] Maureen5 12 years ago

The lesson that was driven home to me, was when the little girl realised that 'Possesions and love' are two separate things! It is easy to confuse the two.
I also have to agree with the other posting and say I found it impossible that such a small animlal would survive such a fall. It was a bit too much to accept. I just knew something like this would happen because you could see the fox panicking and when she went through that window, I wished I hadn't watched the film at all!!!