Re della terra selvaggia

the first temptation is to compare it with other films about same theme. and you discover it is unique. unique because it is a fantastic translation of the refuges and visions and creativity and courage of an unique age. than for an extraordinary child actor. not the last, for the feel to be part of film. to see the landscapes, to touch the things, to be near the courageous girl, to hope save the situation of the poor father. it is a dream and a fairy tale and a seductive pledge to see, for other side, the life. it reminds the drawings of children, always more serious and realistic than you imagine its. and this small detail, the tension, the powerful flavor of freedom impose "Beasts of the Southern Wild" as something real special. maybe an experience. maybe vehicle to memories. maybe total show. maybe rediscover of territories living inside us.

I can understand how most people view this film within the context of Hurricane Katrina. But even as a former denizen of the Gulf coast who sat out Alicia, Claudette, Allen, Rita, and Ike, I view this film in a much, much larger context. It goes beyond stereotype and into archetype -- the denizens of the Bathtub aren't poor drunks at the mercy of the environment, they are The People of the world they inhabit. Hushpuppy doesn't have a drunk father, she has a Father, with many of the faults and strengths of the immortal epic heroes -- anger, pride, genuine love and concern. Hushpuppy herself isn't just a little girl, she is The Child -- the purveyor of a magic which is real, intimately connected with her world, imaginatively linked with All Things. The outside world is a place of Things and Machines, of paperwork and rules -- and is never actually named, you see, because that would diminish it. Everything in this film exists within the realm of archetype, and if you watch it with that in mind, its multiple messages take on cosmic significance. Beautifully shot, beautifully acted -- it's going to take a few more days for the entire thing to completely sink in. Outstanding!

This is such an original piece of work, I believe I need to view it again. Unlike some of the naysayers that have given this almost no worth, despite the fact that it doesn't have a conventional plot, I was mesmerized from the beginning. First of all, this is dreamscape and fantasy. It's the mind of a remarkable little girl as she butts heads with her fears and her awful lot in life. The river people are just that. They are survivors. They are so out of the ordinary, one can dismiss them. I challenge anyone who has not had to be a part of such a world not to judge so harshly. Katrina brought these people to the surface literally and figuratively. This is an example of the objective correlative which is what visual filmmaking is all about. As for the acting, it seemed at times that no-one was really acting, as if they were actually people of the river. I look forward to another viewing.

As I said, I thought the film is over-rated, over-hyped, formless, basically plot less, and trite. The father is a mean drunk (who still loves his kid), and the kid is a solemn and wise six year-old. Two stereotypes, wouldn't you say? They live in The Bathtub, a shattered but colorful community on the gulf side of the levee. The community is comprised of other drunk people who also love and care about Hushpuppy, the young girl. Hushpuppy is quite precocious, interested in things that don't usually concern girls of her age: the after-life, ecology, such eternal questions as the meaning of life. She of course loves her mean drunk father and all the furred and feathered creatures that live in their little farmlet. There is an air about the film that is surreal. The characters in their madness are a bit like the characters in Mad Max. They are all over-sized and eminently watchable in their enthusiastic inebriation. But I wished for a few moments of lucidity, where people just talk to each other without ranting and raving. The overall impression that I got is one of sadness. There is very little joy -- other than that which comes from the bottle -- in their lives. This said, I enjoyed the movie. It is very watchable, but in a guilty sort of way. Their lives are painful. It is set in a part of the world that we don't normally see, with people we would generally avoid. Technically it is very well done. The visuals are great. I would recommend seeing it but not attending too much to the surrounding hype.

You have never seen anything quite like "Beasts of the Southern Wild". It is a film that will have you thinking about the love between a father and a daughter, about appreciating what you have in life and our ability to adapt to whatever comes at us. Quvenzhané Wallis is certain to beat Anna Paquin and Tatum O'Neal out as the youngest best actress nominee in history. Best original Screenplay is also almost a certainty. Go in with an open mind and enjoy this unique film that plays almost like a documentary and yet is full of fantasy elements as well. This is a don't miss.

If I have one quibble with the film it is the hand-held camera technique that at least in the early scenes is particularly annoying. It usually takes so much from my enjoyment of the film. I get it though, it gives it a more realistic feel and in this film it may have added to the overall experience. Still bugs me though.

Another plus at the screening tonight in Denver was a long Q and A with the talented director/screenwriter Benh Zeitlin, Dwight Henry who played the father Wink, and Quvenzhané Wallis. Lovely people all, and I hope to see their work in many films to come.