Review of Belstone Fox, The

Introduction

This film came out in 1973, when as a mere slip of a girl, I began to seriously to loathe certain preoccupations in this country that were passed off as sport. Sadly thirty years later we are still debating the pros and cons of whether it is cruel to allow a pack of hounds to tear apart a living creature and now it is referred to as `controlling` the fox population.

One day an old countryman, Tod, finds a fox cub the only one remaining after hunters with terriers have smashed up an earth with several young cubs in. Tod (Bill Travers) brings it to Asher, the local Master of the Hounds, to put in with new puppies and it is nursed with the rest. Most of the puppies are sold to other packs but Merlin (the hound) and Tag (the fox) remain and continue to grow up together.

When Tag is released back to the wild,Merlin pines and finds he is unable to fulfil his role as hunter. Unless Merlin learns to chase foxes he will have to be put down. One day, however, he catches the scent of Tag and the chase is on. For the two of them it is a game but it proves useful to the hunt, at least at first. Then one day Tag lead the hounds across a railway line. The resulting carnage hardens the heart of Asher and he realises he must destroy the fox.

Asher is played by Eric Porter, and his wife by Rachel Roberts. His trainee is a certain Dennis Waterman, to become a well known face on British television.
The film is based on a novel, The Ballad of the Belstone Fox` and seems to be a part of the rash of `nature` based made in the 60`s and 70`s including Ring of Bright Water, Born Free and Living Free.

Video

This is quite an old film but despite this there is a reasonably good transfer onto DVD. It looks quite a clean print with no obvious marking.

Audio

A rather beautiful soundtrack written by Laurie Johnson well known for various TV themes, The Avengers, Professionals and more appropriately Animal Magic, lifts the film above the average.

The voice over by the wife of Asher provides some linkage as the story progresses.

The disc is in the original mono.

Features

Another missed opportunity to produce a quality disc of a well-remembered film
The cast list is rather an illustrious one with many well-known names who are sadly no longer with us.
It is well known that Bill Travers was heavily involved with wildlife charities including one he helped found with his wife Virginia McKenna. He also had many film collaborations with the director James Hill including Born Free and Living Free.

Tying all the themed films together as a co-ordinated release would surely have created more interest and presumably more sales.

Conclusion

Given the current anti fox hunting climate it seems another missed opportunity to make something of this issue by including some additional material. Again this disc has been aimed at the budget market with apparently no marketing strategy.

The film is quite visually attractive and is stuffed with British talent from the 1970`s but acting with animals is always a little difficult. The disc although reasonably priced is a disappointment again.

The motivation of a master of the Hounds accepting a fox cub to bring up is wildly unbelievable. There is not sufficent depth in any of the characters and in the end it leaves the acting honours to the fox.