Wild

Ania lives a fairly average life, with no real excitement. Then one day she spots a wolf in a forest near her flat and is intrigued and fascinated by it. She initially just brings the wolf food but after a while her plans turn more drastic...

Fairly intriguing, initially. Ania's daily life and events and her fascination with the wolf was interesting to watch. However, from a point the movie takes a turn for the bizarre and from then on it's just absurdity for the sake of absurdity. While Ania was initially an engaging character, her subsequent actions make her quite unlikable and make her seem crazy.

Had some potential but ultimately goes nowhere.

There is a scene, in which the movie's main character Ania tenderly cuddles with a full-grown, dangerous wolf. When the movie had finished, I thought again about that scene. There was no CGI involved. Everything, that happened, was real. A woman hugged a predator, who could kill her in an instant. On camera. It was then, that I fully realized, that I have just watched a very special, unique movie, one that would not even be remotely possible in the safeguarded environment of Hollywood filmmaking.

That scene alone shows the incredible work, that has been put into this movie. From the animal trainers, who took care of the two wolves, that were involved in the production (and are fully credited at the end of the movie). From writer and director Nicolette Krebitz, who created moments, you probably haven't seen in a movie before; and maybe won't ever see again. And, of course, from actress Lilith Stangenberg, who delivers a performance, that defies all standards. She is fearless, she is vulnerable, she is krass. She alone carries this movie on her shoulders like it was the easiest thing to her, and creates a female character, that has no comparison in film history.

We meet the mousy front desk girl Ania, played by Stangenberg, who is supposed to work as an IT-technician in a small clothing company. Her main job, though, is to serve coffee to her boss and to be pushed around by her colleagues. She lives a pretty uninteresting and dull life in a high-rise apartment at the outskirts of an unspecified big town (maybe Berlin?). The only person, she really seems to have feelings for, is her grandpa, who is in need of care. Her life changes dramatically, when she encounters a wolf in a city park near her apartment. She becomes completely obsessed with the animal, up to a point, that she manages to bring the wolf into her flat. The longer Ania lives together with the wild animal, the more she withdraws herself from the civilized world.

The relationship between men and wolves is a constant theme in human history, from the story of Romulus and Remus to Red Riding Hood and modern werewolf horror-stories. There is a deep fascination coming from these creatures, who can be deadly animals and trustworthy companions at the same time. Nicolette Krebitz explores this tension and makes it very clear, that a wolf is not just a bigger dog. It is a dangerous predator, who can kill people easily, and we feel that in every scene. But it is not only the physical threat, that the wolf brings to Anias life. He changes her personality dramatically: Being without any drive or motivation, when we first meet her, the wolf brings out animalistic instincts and appetites in Ania, who ends up behaving like a dog in heat; and the males around her sure want to copulate.

Sexuality is an ongoing theme in the film, and the camera often focuses almost voyeuristically on the lower body parts of Lilith Stangenberg/Ania. This leads to some very explicit scenes, which might make some viewers turn their heads. Personally, I didn't find anything in this movie as repulsive as for example Nicolas Winding Refns equally drastic "The Neon Demon". The only criticism I have is, that I sometimes would have wished for a bit more of visual panache. With a more cinematic look, "Wild" maybe would have found greater recognition and appeal.

Still, "Wild" is one of the bravest German movies I have seen in a long time. Instead of rehashing known recipes from Hollywood for the German market, like a certain Til Schweiger does constantly, it is a unique film in style and storytelling. It will definitely stay with its viewers for quite some time.

A young woman in her early twenties lives a mundane, lethargic live. While she works as an IT consultant at a small company, her boss and co-workers treat her as a secretary. Her boss calls her his favorite employee, because 'she never complains'. When she encounters a wild wolf in a small park, she feels alive for the first time. She becomes obsessed with the wolf, and settles on trying to catch it to bring it home, finding satisfaction in the thrill of the hunt and connecting with her animalistic side for the first time in her life.

The film delivers as a modern, realistic twist on the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Rather than getting lost on the way to grandma's and being hunted by a wolf, Ania purposely brings home the wolf to her grandfather's house. But this film isn't a fairy tale; It's a gritty, visceral and realistic portrayal of an animal in the big city. Through the wolf Ania connects to her instincts - her wild side - and we witness her path of depravity. While she befriends the wolf, it's always a wild animal and a threat to Ania and the people around her.

I saw the film at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, where it was a nominee for the big screen award. I hope it makes it to the theaters, as the audience responded with both shock and delight to the imagery and events. We saw the uncensored version which isn't for the faint of heart, as the film contains graphic sex scenes and violence towards animals.

The screenplay is grounded in reality and uncompromising, while the acting of both the lead actress and the animal(s) is impressive. If you have an opportunity to see this film and you find inspiration in the depraved side of human instinct or the role nature has in modern society, go see Wild.

I tend to like films that are not "the same old thing" - and this certainly delivers on that.

In a different way to "The Dice Man" (book) which uses its dice device (hoho) to lead the character to behave in very uncivilised fashion, this takes the premiss of a woman taking a lead from an ultimate symbol of wildness (the wolf) and allowing it to gradually come to dominate her entire approach to life. Intriguingly, other characters are also drawn to her "new wildness" and start to act in less-extreme echoes of her new manner.

As a study in what it means to be civilised and to what degree modern life therefore contains and constrains us, it's therefore very interesting and, I think, well done - with a great central performance from Lilith Stangenberg.

Recommended.

A very simple story - a young woman, trapped in boring day-to-day business and restrictions, chances upon a lone wolf in a park near her home. This fact alone changes her demeanor - she now has a purpose and some spirit - but when she manages to catch the beast a few days later, things become serious as she starts not only to overcome, but to completely lose the reigns of civilised behaviour.

The motif of man stripping away his (more or less) thin coat of civilisation is not exactly new, but it's very seldom used - a recent example the not-so-successful adaption of Ballard's "High-Rise" - but the film nearest to "Wild" would probably be the Michel Piccoli-starrer "Themroc" from the early 70s. I'd say "Wild" is the best of those three - it keeps its focus on the protagonist (like Themroc) but has just enough outside world left to stay interesting. Also, it has humour - it's no comedy, but there are quite a lot of snickering moments spread throughout the crisp running time.

"Wild" is a low-budget production - since the story is focused on very few people and sets, that's no big problem, but it is told in such an ambitious manner that I wished the production design and especially camera work had a bit more class - as it is, "Wild" seems rather pedestrian despite the outrageous plot, often like a TV production. I also felt the whole thing rushed, the atavism happens very fast once things get rolling.

Despite the shortcomings, I rated it 8/10: The lead actress is enchanting, the wolf (or wolves, two were used for the production, probably the biggest budget point) is terrific, there are a lot of interesting scenes, and the story is extremely quick-footed. That the ending may not seem very satisfactory to some is inherent to the "genre" - once you're back to primitive, free from society, there's really nothing more left to tell, is it?

conclusion: You could argue for hours about the metaphors and meanings which play into "Wild", but even taken just at face value, it's still a powerful, entertaining and thought-provoking low-budget production. Recommended!