The Hunt - In Brief
The film from Denmark, directed by Thomas Vinterberg, revolves
around a 40-year-old man who is wrongly accused of child molestation.
The Hunt - Verdict
The Danish film was screened at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival under
the 'World Cinema' category. The plot is gripping and the subjects that
have been dealt with subliminally are important and well portrayed.
Performances by the cast are brilliant and the writing-direction is
simple yet sparkling.
The Hunt - Short Plot
40-year-old Lucas mikkelsen" title="Mads Mikkelsen">Mads Mikkelsen
)
is already going through a rough time post his divorce, when he is
falsely accused of sexually abusing his best friend Theo's daughter
Klara. How he copes up with the humiliation of being targeted as a child
molester, along with losing the trust of his near and dear ones,
including his son Marcus and new girl friend, and ultimately strives to
get justice is what is all about.
The story deals with various subjects on different levels. Be it
child molestation, trust issues, judgemental societies, mindless
conjecture, character assassination etc. All of these subjects have been
portrayed in a manner which mirrors the state of the society that we
live in. We tend to come to conclusions easily and these convictions
make us form judgements about the 'suspects' and we do not hesitate
before harming them in any way. This is the reality, and that is what
the film talks about. It also deals with the perceptions of the wronged
individual. The helplessness that emanates from the protagonists face is
impactful, intense and terrifying. Actor Mads Mikkelsen delivers a
superlative performance in the film, as does the rest of the cast.
The Hunt - Technical
The screenplay of the film was brilliant. The way the audience is
kept guessing right till the climactic moments in the film is exemplary.
There are moments in the film where you may not agree with what's
happening on an idealistic level. However, if you give it a deeper
thought, you will find that so many instances incorporated in the film
portray reality. The protagonist is beaten, abused, humiliated and
'wronged' time and again, but you keep hoping till the end that
redemption will come. The film does not consciously project this hope
and optimism. The Hunt is all about the bitter truth.
One which everyone eventually has to come to terms with. It does not
have a convenient ending, but one should remember that not all endings
are that.
The Hunt - Final Word