Review of The Story of the Fox

Production on RENARD THE FOX was begun by Ladislas and Irene Starevich in 1930 and the film was completed in 1940. It is the first puppet animated feature film. It is not the first animated feature film (that honor belongs to Lotte Reiniger's ABENTEUER VON PRINZ ACHMED of 1926.)SNOW WHITE remains the first animated feature film with sound. Now that that's done-- Why can't this wonderful feature be released in the USA? Well, Starevich completed it in 1940 in Paris. The Nazis, who had conquered France in 1940, provided funds for its completion. US law forbids any film made by the Nazis from being released in the country. RENARD is actually a very subversive piece of film-making based on a medieval fable. The moral of the story is this: Each man has his price, even the king, and if you can't beat the fox, appoint him as your minister so he's at least on your side! The animation is absolutely stunning and there is nothing in this story that could not be shown today. You may be able to locate copies of the movie in France and it is well worth the effort; RENARD is a milestone in animation. I was blown away by a photograph of Starevich with his "Lion King" puppet--the thing was nearly as tall as the animator! The sequence with the flirty Lion Queen being serenaded by a cat minstrel is marvelous, but then so is nearly everything else in the film. Try and see RENARD if you are interested in animation. It is a delight.