An apple farmer tries a little weed from one of his workers, and returns to his home early when he throws a whitey. Back at home the stress of life starts to play out on him more than usual, and a nighttime predator adds to his woes.
There is not a great narrative in Night of the Foxes – or at least not one that is played out in a traditional sense. Mostly, regardless what happens, we are in the oppressive life of the farmer. Whether it is his frustration at a cd player skipping, or the distance he feels from his daughter, or the stress of another season of just about getting by if he is luckily, we feel all of this stress throughout the film. Maybe stress is the wrong work, because this implies a temporary thing, or unusually elevated feelings, whereas this is more like a constant presence, always pushing and never far from having an outward manifestation. The film mostly does this well, with small touches giving us the context and understanding we need, while using music to convey that sense of constant morbidity.
The device of the fox is a tad obvious in what it is doing, but it fits well with the implication of the farmer's condition and mindset. The issue with the film is not that it does all of this presentation very well, it is more that it is limited in what else it does, and it runs a bit long for a film that is really all about atmosphere, music, and presentation but without a great deal of forward narrative. It is well acted by all throughout, since the performances make sure that it is not just the music that gives us the understanding we need; likewise the filming is good, with good shots and sound.
The focus on mood and mind will limit the appeal, and does make it feel a bit long for what it does, and I am not sure the narrative was as clever as it suggests, however I enjoyed the constant feeling of the farmer and the way it was conveyed throughout.
There is not a great narrative in Night of the Foxes – or at least not one that is played out in a traditional sense. Mostly, regardless what happens, we are in the oppressive life of the farmer. Whether it is his frustration at a cd player skipping, or the distance he feels from his daughter, or the stress of another season of just about getting by if he is luckily, we feel all of this stress throughout the film. Maybe stress is the wrong work, because this implies a temporary thing, or unusually elevated feelings, whereas this is more like a constant presence, always pushing and never far from having an outward manifestation. The film mostly does this well, with small touches giving us the context and understanding we need, while using music to convey that sense of constant morbidity.
The device of the fox is a tad obvious in what it is doing, but it fits well with the implication of the farmer's condition and mindset. The issue with the film is not that it does all of this presentation very well, it is more that it is limited in what else it does, and it runs a bit long for a film that is really all about atmosphere, music, and presentation but without a great deal of forward narrative. It is well acted by all throughout, since the performances make sure that it is not just the music that gives us the understanding we need; likewise the filming is good, with good shots and sound.
The focus on mood and mind will limit the appeal, and does make it feel a bit long for what it does, and I am not sure the narrative was as clever as it suggests, however I enjoyed the constant feeling of the farmer and the way it was conveyed throughout.