By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Benh Zeitlin
Starring: Dwight Henry | Gina Montana | Levy Easterly | Lowell Landes | Pamela Harper | Quvenzhané Wallis
Country: united_states
Year: 2012
Running time: 91
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125435/
Bruce says: “It took BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, winner of the Grand Jury and cinematography awards at Sundance 2012, about four years to get to the screen. Everyone associated with the film was in agreement – the film would not be shot until the perfect Hushpuppy was found. Find her they did. Quvenzhané Wallis is an astounding child actress. Although she is younger than the girl in the original script, changes were made to accommodate her as they were for several other characters who seemed to fit into the film but were not exactly as written. Few filmmakers have the luxury of making such adjustments; it is mindboggling to think what better films we would have were that not the case.
“Hushpuppy lives with her father in two makeshift huts. Hers looks like an abandoned trailer on stilts and his looks like a woodpile with a doorway. Only six and motherless, Hushpuppy does not yet know that her father is dying. Nor does she realize that the place she calls home is endangered by global warming. Her life is enveloped in nature – the navigable waters of the bayou, her pets and chickens, the swamp flora – which for her is a magical kingdom. Whenever she is frustrated or angry, Hushpuppy has imaginary conversations with her mother. The scattered folks living in the Mississippi delta are something to behold. It is safe to say there is no other community quite like this one. These people live off the land (and water) and most of the adults seem to be fond of the bottle, at least the ones who hang out at Lady Jo’s, the local watering hole.
“When a severe storm threatens the community many of the residents refuse to evacuate. Homes are ravaged by high winds and properties are flooded. These are people who are used to heading towards nature for safety rather than manmade constructions. After two weeks everything begins to die, the trees, the animals. Finally, the residents are forced by authorities to retreat to a plasticized shelter called Open Arms, and most put up a fight before giving in or being subdued by force.
“As we watch the polar ice caps melting, giant prehistoric wild boars (aurochs) roam the bayou and pose an additional threat. Often it is difficult to tell where reality ends and fantasy takes over, however Benh Zeitlin mixes the two perfectly in telling his story. As her father’s health declines, Hushpuppy becomes aware of the many changes going on around her. It’s a heavy load for a kid of just six. But Hushpuppy has innate strength and wisdom way beyond her years. One hopes she never loses her tenacious spirit, her curious nature and her ability to find joy around her even in the face of adversity.
“As we see what is happening to the people of the bayou, it is difficult to decide on which side of the theoretical fence to be. Should members of society protect one another from perceived peril? Is the peril one man perceives actually another man’s refuge? BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is not making a definitive social statement. It is merely telling a story, and a magical one at that. 4.5 cats
“(BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD screened at the 2012 New Directors/New Films Festival jointly sponsored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art.)”
Toni says: “Paul and I just recently saw BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD at the Dedham Community Theatre south of Boston. Seek it out with the Chlotrudis crew on Monday or elsewhere!
“We were both truly moved by the film and while the film may have connections or influences, it is in a league of its in story, visual landscape, and charming bittersweet score. All from the eyes of a 6 year old child.
“All of the cast are non-actors which makes this whimsical apocalyptic world more natural and makes in a way our own world of rules and regulations seen odd and not right as seen in the film on the other side of the levee of civilized ‘society’ (‘they plug their animals into the wall’).
“The character of Wink, played by Dwight Henry, actually runs a small bakery in New Orleans that the director and crew had visited and selected him over possible actors for the film. The film is based on a play that originally took place in Georgia and here in the film it is a variant of Louisiana and as a film take on a life of its own. Even a trip to a whore house has an innocent yet lost soul feel as the young Hushpuppy overcomes fears throughout the film facing tragedy with hope.
“From the houses, sets, the boat, the location, the lighting, the color scheme, the vivid shots and recreation of animals, etc., we see beauty in sadness and sadness in beauty. The score is present throughout but plays a great backdrop with Americana overtones that was co-written by director, Behn Zeitlin. You can feel there is magic in the cast and crew of BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD through the perfect storm of production value and story and a sense of community within the characters it represents, and sometimes showing tough love in the wilderness. I can guarantee that you look in epic wonder, laugh, and yes, cry throughout the film.
“I was thrilled to be taken to this unique world for a few hours of my time and hope hopes seek this out. It will gain momentum in the next month or two so some large cineplexes and smaller independent cinemas will likely screen it if you don’t see it in a theater near you.
“Also, I think this would be fine for children and think it should not be PG-13 (at least a PG rating would be fine) since it deal with tough situations from a child’s eyes. 5 big cats”
Thom says: “Far be it for me to bad mouth this very well received film, especially with its many fine accomplishments. Hushpuppy (played by Wallis in one of the most memorable child performances of all time) lives with her tough-love father, Link, in ‘the Bathtub’ an area in the Southern Delta region As a deadly illness slowly overtakes Link, Hushpuppy must learn to function without him. A storm of cataclysmic proportions hits the land that appears to be at the end of the world. As temperatures rise an army of prehistoric aurochs roam the landscape. While I loved Hushpuppy and marveled at her philosophical bits some of the decisions she made frightened me. But finally the film reminded me too much of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (2009) by Spike Jonze which I thought was superior, all that more remarkable because I’ve never previously liked anything by Jonze. And a lot of the credit to that film has to go to Caldecott Medal winner Maurice Sendak. 4 cats”
Hilary
says: “I really didn’t enjoy this film. Magical realism isn’t my favorite and overall it didn’t grab me. Instead, it just really bummed me out. Like, bawling for 15 minutes, who is that crazy lady crying in a movie theater, sad.
“However, 5 cats for Quvenzhane Wallis for being 6 years old and bringing it.”
Toni responds: “That is what made it so beautiful and sad with a few funny moments like her opening up the crab. The view of the chaos from a six year old girl having to overcome so many tragedies was unique and powerful. The gentleman who played her father was a natural, too. The statements about modern society were subtle but there like in the hospital scene. I like to feel emotional in a film that grabs me. I balled my eyes out when Paul and I saw A SINGLE MAN in the theater.”
Chris says: “I’ve been meaning to write about BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD all summer. I ‘ve seen it twice, but it’s a difficult one for me to wrap my head around, perhaps because it’s honestly like no other film I’ve ever seen, as unlikely a proposition that is after years and years of movie watching.
“That’s not to say it’s an instant masterpiece or absolutely flawless, but, from the first five minutes alone, I understood why it was special and receiving so many raves (not least of which was the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury prize). Like one of my all-time faves MCCABE & MS. MILLER, it instantly thrusts you into its unfamiliar world, complete with its own codes and strictures and a history you immediately sense how much its inhabitants have lived through. Unlike MCCABE, the film has a narrator to guide us into this world, but she’s six years old and not entirely reliable. Still, I think Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) is what makes BEASTS great, but not just because she’s a fantastic character or an irresistible one to center a film on; Wallis plays the hell out of the role and while she’s surely precocious, she’s also tough and smart and utterly believable. This is the first professional acting job for both Wallis and Dwight Henry (who plays her father, Wink)—much of the film’s power and heart feels like an alchemy that’s the result of the actors’ naturalness and Benh Zeitlin’s direction of them.
“The story, which follows Hushpuppy and Wink and their isolated community, an island off the coast of Louisiana dubbed ‘The Bathtub’, rolls and rambles along like a muddy river, splitting off into unexpected, unpredictable tangents full of allusions to mythical creatures (the Arctic beasts the title partially refers to) and real disasters (it’s nearly impossible not to think of Hurricane Katrina throughout). Although much of it is episodic, the desire for survival, strength and holding on to one’s own community remains an undercurrent and gives BEASTS its seductive momentum, even when sidetracked by an odd but engaging detour such as the gently effervescent dream (?) sequence on the ship late in the film. Overall, BEASTS is a very personal work of art but one with ideals that feel universal. In an age where many filmmakers settle for the tried and true to tell another variation on a standard tale, Zeitlin and Court 13, the collective that made BEASTS, enthusiastically aim for the stars in every respect; their ambition is novel yet deeply thrilling to see carried out with such complete devotion. 5 cats”
Julie says: “This was the best film I’ve seen all year and perhaps for several! Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry were fantastic and had a special chemistry together. The other Bathtub folk were all quite special and worked well as a background ensemble cast. The cinematography and music were superb. I think that one aspect people have alluded to as magical was more allegorical and it worked perfectly for me. There were many magical moments though as all children should have. Yes I cried, but good movies can do that. This one is a must see if you haven’t seen it already. And a perfect coming of age movie as well. 5 BIG cats!”