Mads Mikkelsen in THE HUNT, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo credit: Charlotte Bruus-Christensen. |
THE HUNT
2013, 111 minutes
Rated R for sexual content including a
graphic image, violence and language
Review by Joshua
Handler
Of any film releasing this Friday, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt is the best. You won’t find a more compelling and
provocative film to see this weekend.
The film stars Mads Mikkelsen (Casino
Royale, A Royal Affair, TV’s Hannibal) who won the Best Actor award
at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival for his performance in this film. He plays Lucas, a recently divorced
kindergarten assistant whose best friend’s young daughter lies and says that
Lucas sexually abused her. This lie
begins to destroy Lucas’ life.
The film explores how people have this inherent belief that
kids don’t lie about sexual abuse. We
automatically believe that the person accused of abuse is actually an abuser
without even questioning the situation.
In The Hunt, Lucas is the
model of respect and kindness – not the kind of person usually associated with
sexual abuse. When the girl tells her
teacher, Lucas’ boss, that he showed her his genitals, the teacher
automatically spreads it around and handles the situation inappropriately
without even questioning whether Lucas actually abused the girl. With more and more cases of sexual abuse
unfortunately occurring and being reported, it is very timely for this movie to
be released. While it is absolutely
necessary to bring abusers to justice, it is equally necessary to examine the
situation and not simply believe everything we’re told blindly, which is what The Hunt calls for.
Mads Mikkelsen’s performance is understated and
haunting. The amount of emotional and
physical abuse and pain piled on Lucas is astonishing and his gradual breaking
down is expertly portrayed. Mikkelsen
rarely ever plays a normal person, but in The
Hunt, he is as likable and normal as they get. He is relatable and Mikkelsen made me feel
for him throughout the film. I was with
Lucas every step of his brutal journey to clear his name.
Vinterberg’s direction and script (co-written with Tobias Lindholm,
writer/director of the brilliant film, A
Hijacking) are tight and smart. The Hunt looks and feels like the work
of an assured director, completely in control of his film. While this is definitely the work of someone
who has been directing for a long time, it never feels tired or bored. It is quite the opposite. The
Hunt is more intense and thrilling than most traditional thrillers. Scenes build with extreme tension, sometimes
leading up to a shock. Vinterberg builds
this movie slowly, but this kind of slow does not mean boring. The build-up builds character and atmosphere. I was kept completely engaged and interested
every minute that this movie was playing.
The film moves at a brisk pace once it really gets going and does not
stop until the last scene cuts. Where
Vinterberg deserves the most praise is the final scene. I was worried that this scene would lead into
another portion of the movie which would have drawn it out too much, but
instead this final scene caps off the movie perfectly, leaving the viewer with
many questions to be discussed long after the credits roll.
The cinematography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen is gorgeous. Every shot is perfectly framed and lit. The lighting isn’t extravagant and has a very
naturalistic feel.
Overall, The Hunt
is a tense, stressful, smart, well-acted treat that is far more effective than
most other films in theaters now. I was consistently
intrigued by The Hunt and was blown
away by the crafting of the film. Watch
this and prepare to have a long discussion afterward.
4/4
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