Der Fuchs

Inspired by the experiences of the director's great-grandfather, Franz Streitberger, during World War II, the film centers on the unexpected bond formed between an Austrian motorcycle courier and an injured fox cub amidst the chaos of war.

One of the film's most striking aspects is its ability to handle the brutality of war and the delicate relationship between humans and nature in a balanced way. The bond between our main character, Franz, and the fox offers him hope and compassion in the midst of a life filled with loneliness and trauma. Simon Morzé's performance as Franz successfully portrays a character who speaks little but is full of emotion.

If you come from "Babylon Berlin" and are used to the glamor of the Golden Twenties, with the electrical lighting and the cars and the heated apartments, this will be quite sobering. A couple hundred kilometers to the south none of these existed. At least, that's how I felt.

The actors do a great job, especially Simon Morzé, who takes the introversion of his character to a level that it would be labelled as "social anxiety" nowadays: He totally keeps to himself, sits aside when others gather and is totally unable to express or explain himself when he would need to. This makes him the target not of teasing but of outright hostility. He more or less floats along with the story while the fox actively drives it, in one instance by approaching the protagonist and in another when it chases the chicken of the French woman Franz gets friends with.

Less great is the pacing. In the first (estimated) half hour nothing notable happens until a rich(er) farmer comes to take young Franz with him. Then there's a time lapse and Franz joins the army. Another year later, he's in the camp where he meets the fox, and so on. It kind of drags on and goes into a rush when the next time lapse is coming up. Humour is totally absent although I couldn't help but grin in the scene where the sick kid and the father have a chat because the whole scene was subtitled. Seems like the film makers deemed the Austrian in that part too heavy even for Austrians. I freely admit that I had to peek into the subtitles for »Selchkammer« (pantry) myself.

Who is this film for? I'm not sure to be honest. Someone called this a war movie, but I wouldn't recommend it to those who like "Saving Private Ryan". Sure, the whole story wouldn't have happened if it weren't for WWII, but that's merely a story framework and a loud background as Franz is at no point near the front. I'd rather call it a second-row war movie. If I needed to compare it with something, I'd choose "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" or "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas".

However, the final scenes compensate for the drag in a way.

The main theme of "Fox" revolves around the search for human connection and the comfort found in unexpected relationships. Set against the harsh backdrop of World War II, the film contrasts the brutality of war with the tenderness of the bond between Franz and the fox. This juxtaposition highlights the potential for compassion and humanity even in the most inhumane of circumstances.

Director Adrian Gogginger draws on his own family history, as Franz Streitberger is based on his grandfather's story, adding a layer of personal authenticity to the narrative. The story is not just about survival, but about finding hope and maintaining one's humanity in the midst of widespread devastation.

Visually, the film is made to evoke the 1940s era with meticulous attention to detail in its cinematography, directed by Yoshi Himerat and Paul Sprinz. The aesthetics serve to immerse the audience in the period while increasing the emotional depth of the story.

Beginning with the poor family but happy together..... When too much in trouble and nervous there is god on the top which answers you maybe by sending another creature (the fox) i personally experienced this moment.... Understanding that sometimes we have to do something terrible in order to prevent something the worse .between the dark times in world war 2 showing fear/ love / loneliness / poverty The last sequence at the end of movie in the wooden house is a masterpiece !! The fathers attempt to read son's letter See it twice.

It was a long time i had not seen a valuable movie keep going making this kind of movies tnx.

Based on a true story ,the movie is decidedly off the beaten track and depicts the friendship of a soldier and a fox ;taking place when the German army was triumphant , for defeating the French and the English was just a pushover after Poland ; the vengeful spirit plays a prominent part and the fathers will be proud of their sons' prowess which redeems their 1918 humiliation;it was the same despicable spirit in France after 1870. However when the movie ends ,when the Germans want to celebrate Xmas in Moscow , they should have remembered Napoleon's Berezina .

In a world gone mad , the young soldier does not seem to care about the big victories ;the more I know men,the more I love dogs (or foxes) seems to be his motto though he remains a good soldier, not a rebellious mind ;one must note that the superiors were lenient when he did not join his mates (he's not really looked upon as a deserter). The scenes with the French woman provides the movie with its low point :there does not seem to have the slightest problem of communication between them ,which is a little unlikely all the same .

One scene at the beginning -when the little boy is taken away from his family ,"for his own good" -echoes to one of the final scenes ,that of the fox running behind the vehicle ;both scenes are harrowing.and will drive you to tears.

Animals remain friends to men when they fight each others : "der Fuchs " belongs to a genre which includes Spielberg's "war horse"(2011) and the French movie starring Fernandel "la vache et le prisonnier" (1959)(the cow and I ", itself based on a true story)