The Hunt

The Oscars: the most televised opportunity for rich and beautiful people to get together and remind each other how rich and beautiful they are. To celebrate this enlightening cultural spectacle, Mark and I have put together a series in which we watch and review Academy Award nominees before the actual ceremony. Of course, because we never get these things done in time, it is officially a one-part series. And this is going to be the first and only entry.

The movie is entitled The Hunt. It is nominated for Best Foreign Film. Yes, it is a foreign film, so you'll have to do some subtitle reading. I suppose you could find a dubbed version, you lazy bastard. Oh, and it's on Netflix. 

Mark:  So this was one of the most emotionally draining movies I’ve seen in a while.  Most films with this caliber of tension at some point use violence for shock value. And while this movie does, at times, give us a glimpse of overt violence, it really does a consistent job of holding back. In a way, this makes the movie all the more harrowing, as we never get the visceral release that the characters seem to be plummeting toward.  We are presented with a painfully realistic look at how people can turn on each other in the blink of an eye. 

Dylan: I wouldn’t necessarily say that everyone turns to violence. Not at first, at least. I was more swept up by 1) how something this serious could steamroll out of proportion, and 2) how everyone is willing, even eager, to believe the worst. 

(So let me give some background. Lucas is a kindergarten teacher. He is estranged from his wife and son, but he has a tight-knit group of friends, and a budding relationship with a coworker. When a student, Klara -- the daughter of Lucas’ best friend and, herself, a companion to Lucas -- who is having troubles at home, basically does little more than use the words 'Lucas' and ‘penis’ in the same sentence, everything goes to shit. Of course Lucas is innocent, but not only does the innocent white lie, told out of misdirected anger and frustration, spiral out of proportion to the point where Lucas is accused of molesting the entire class, but his coworkers, his close friends, and the entire town turn against him as if he were a hideous beast.)

What makes this film so discomforting is, as you mentioned, the realism. Pedophiles and child molesters are generally considered among the worst level of offenders. Just those words stir up certain feelings, along the same lines as 'terrorism' and 'cancer'. You don't think twice about whether or not an accused or convicted sex offender is guilty; you automatically commit to despising that person, whether or not he/she actually committed the crime. We sympathize with the distraught townspeople, looking for someone to crucify in their rage, but obviously we are heartbroken by Lucas’ troubles, knowing that he did not do any of the things he is accused of.

Mark:  The movie sort of flows more like a documentary.  I say this because the film has very little flash or flair in how scenes are shot, and for this kind of story, that really helps to bring us closer to the characters.  The camera plays the passive role, documenting what happens in Lucas’ life as the world turns against him.  It all begins gradually, with people turning on him one by one. And even when he tries to defend himself, they completely shut him out.  You’re right, the real disturbing part is how we are all capable of this.  But something really refreshing came from how the film portrayed Lucas.  He doesn’t engage in the moments of violence; he doesn’t let it disrupt his life.  When the police ask him to come to the station, he doesn’t fight it, he goes, because he knows he’s innocent and doing anything but will only hurt him.  And this makes him even more engaging of a character.  Not to mention that Mads Mikkelsen does a phenomenal job as Lucas.

Dylan: Right. For the first half of the movie, Lucas isn’t even sure what he’s being accused of. First his boss tells him not to come into work for a few days off because of an incident with a child. And yes, I love how the character Lucas deals with it so complacently, relying on the the legal system to do its job. I have to say, the suspense in this movie is nail-biting. Again, because we can relate with the townspeople, we can sense that Lucas’ life is in danger. I want to discuss the end, but I really want to avoid spoilers. Mikkelson’s general silence throughout the film -- both his docility and his literal lack of speech -- are what really build the tension until it’s unbearable. Most characters he plays are quiet and menacing -- emoting mostly with his face and eyes -- but in this case, it's more vulnerable and restrained. 

Mark: For the whole movie, or rather when things begin to spiral out of control, you expect Lucas to explode.  To just go off on everyone.  It’s really what we’ve kinda come to expect in characters who get accused of something.  And part of the tension is watching and waiting for it.  There are moments where I thought we’d see it from him.  One in particular, which I won’t say because, you know, spoilers and such, showed how much control he has of his own emotions.  But then in the next scene, we see him and see really, what all of this is doing to to him.  Still he keeps his composure; he retains his dignity.  But it’s written all over his face and in his quiet responses.  And it’s probably one of the best and most painful scenes in the movie. 

And while we can speak for pages on how great Mads' performance is (and, really, this was some Oscar-caliber stuff), I just want to relay that the rest of the cast is just as good.  Each character has such personality that it creates a vibrant town, which makes it all so much more poignant when it all turns dark.

Dylan: By the way, loyal reader, as I mentioned above, this is a foreign film. Mads, who is probably more known for his roles in Casino Royale, King Arthur, and the television series Hannibal, apparently emotes even more impressively in his native tongue, Danish. The supporting cast is entirely unknown, at least from our perspective. And I agree, they make a very believable community, from the concerned parents, to the other teachers, to Lucas’ best friend, Klara’s father. The movie is fantastically well written, and is just a great exploration of truth vs. perception, the darkness in human nature, and the way a society functions. It’s also incredibly human, and shows how friends and family will break lifelong bonds and relationships to take sides over something like this.

Mark: You’re right, this is an amazingly well-written film, from the dialogue between well-acted characters to the frighteningly believable concept.  I highly recommend The Hunt; just go in knowing you’re not going to come out with a smile. But know you’re in for a tense, well-acted drama that will hold you from the first scene to the very last, and even in that very last scene, you’ll learn something more about who we are as a society.

Dylan: I believe this is an example of a what they call a 'Frankenstein story'. You know, with the misunderstood dude, perceived as a monster, and chased around by people with pitchforks, yada yada, something with Van Helsing, Aaron Eckhart, and the Wolfman singing Puttin’ on the Ritz with Abbott and Costello and so forth. All that to say, you definitely want to see this movie and feel bad about yourself.

Mark:  Yea, that about sums it up.

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So here at Back Row Critics, i.e. my living room, we try to present some titles you are unlikely to have picked out yourself. We want to expand your cinematic perspective, and also watch some entertaining movies while we're at it. Sometimes we do a good job of it and sometimes we just goof off and watch movies like Equilibrium. This movie, The Hunt, is great on so many levels. You'll enjoy it and then you'll get to tell your friends about how you watched a foreign film and they'll be impressed. It's almost as impressive as reading a book.