Capital Celluloid 2013 - Day 78: Tue Mar 19

The Fox (Rydell, 1967): BFI Southbank, NFT3, 6.20pm
This film, rarely seen at the cinema, screens as part of the BFI Lesbian & Gay Film Festival and will be will be introduced by Michael Lawrence, Lecturer in film studies at the University of Sussex.

Here is the BFI introduction to tonight's film:

For the fiercely independent March and her partner Banford, the isolated farm provides a hardscrabble haven: while Banford bakes the muffins, March mends the fences. The winter is hard, and the women are happy. But if their living is threatened by the nightly visits of the local fox – who is after their chickens – their lives will be transformed by the sudden arrival of Paul, the old farmer’s grandson – for he is after a wife. Repressions thaw as the icicles melt beneath the winter sun. Desires make their demands, with tragic consequences. Based on the novella by D.H. Lawrence, The Fox broke new ground in 1967 with its depiction of nudity, masturbation and lesbianism. Today, the film deserves reappraisal for its ambiguous exploration of sexuality and sacrifice.
Michael Lawrence

You can also read Roger Ebert's positive review here.

Here is an extract (spoiler alert).

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