Directed by:
Thomas VinterbergCinematography:
Charlotte Bruus ChristensenComposer:
Nikolaj EgelundCast:
Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp, Lasse Fogelstrøm, Susse Wold, Anne Louise Hassing, Lars Ranthe, Alexandra Rapaport (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is beloved by his students and fellow teachers at his local kindergarten. After a divorce, made especially painful when his wife moved away from town with their teenage son, Marcus, Lucas’ life is recovering with a new girlfriend, and the reforging of his relationship with Marcus. His world comes crashing down, however, when a young girl in his class accuses him of inappropriate behaviour. It’s a simple lie that spirals out of control and the small community suddenly finds itself in a collective state of hysteria. Long held friendships are tested as mistrust takes hold, and Lucas must summon all his strength in a brave fight for his life and dignity. (Madman Entertainment)
(more)Videos (3)
Reviews (14)
This belongs to the subgenre of dramas I don't really like because discovering how hateful people can be is something I encounter every day. Fortunately, Thomas Vinterberg's provincial resentment goes far in terms of the credibility of the feelings on both sides, yet sadly he reaches them unbelievably quickly. It's as if the editor skipped several tens of minutes of gradually built tension and jumped from innocent fun to harsh threats. I understand the anger and helplessness that swept through the nursery and family homes, and I praise the tension of several specific scenes, but I am still overwhelmed by the sudden decline, especially since Lucas should have been everyone's favorite neighbor or acquaintance. And I can't help but complain about the lamentations, complaints, and sometimes even hatred of those who comment on the character of little Klara. All of you who wish her harm here either didn't understand the movie or are simply the same nature as a gang of self-proclaimed individuals.
()
Pure genre matters with all of the pros (great work with actors, excellent atmosphere, accessibility in the best sense of the word) and cons (easy manipulativeness and calculation, quite gradual exposition). Vinterberg also refined the director's approach from Submarino and is definitely one of the best creators of mainstream drama who is able to sell simplicity without offensive banality. Watching a second time only confirmed for me the good work that the Danish filmmaker did - the scheme that many point out here, as well as the considerable archetypality of the protagonist's life situation (alienated from the polis for a sin he did not commit) is functionally reflected in the structure of the film and repeated motifs of "collective ritual" (cyclical framework of the year / initiation celebration in the form of a hunt / Christmas Eve in a small village). The Hunt thus refers more to something that is universal in human society and persists in spite of a specific era (I see no attempt to create artificial problems, the "north" has had a lot of chimeras in relation to children for a long time, which only strengthens the seemingly compact morality of the community). It is hard not to see a link to key dogmatic topics here - only the vision has completely changed. Vinterberg does not go as far as Trier in deliberately stripping the schemes - his last two films are mainly about the search for a decent testimony and finding surprisingly strong characters. Lucas is an enchanting character with an inner evolution, from hunted game to a moral memento that proudly looks into the eyes. And, with her intensity and detail, Annika Wedderkopp's acting performance is a small miracle. The Hunt is simply a Danish drama in a nutshell - admittedly schematic, yet taciturn at key moments, reflecting "an overly close and proper community" and its hidden demons. Paradoxically, it’s not an issue that you are one move ahead of the director - it's about the power of realization, not a moment of surprise (in this context, this year I am thinking of Petzold's great Barbara, who is built on the same principle). And that power is still amazing in my eyes.
()
Mads Mikkelsen movies are the place to go to get wet. Sometimes it's also a pleasant surprise from another point of view. That’s what The Hunt is like. It’s a story about how our kids are getting a bit out of control. And it's not just the fundamentally democratic US that's in trouble, but the otherwise progressive Scandinavia is in the same mess. It may have started as a little film about male emancipation, but it broke down nicely into an appeal for herd restraint.
()
A calm Nordic winter, a five-year-old femme fatale, and me, unaware of the plot or anything else, sitting in my seat in the movie theater, and knowing that in six months I am to become a teacher too. It’s pure in terms of the genre to the point where words about sliding on the surface come to mind, yet it cuts under the skin like few things have in recent memory. I haven't felt my throat this tight in a long time.
()
Little Klara deserves an educational blow with an axe to the nape of her neck. The film can arouse the emotions of the viewer, mainly the negative ones, but it didn’t fascinate me as much as I wanted. In a couple of scenes the script felt overworked (for instance, how the testimony of a girl retold word for word by other people changes from "something indefinite" to a "clear accusation of harassment" - nice, but I felt the very purpose of it). The ending is strong, even though my horror-oriented self waited all the time for a proper exploitation “hunt”.
()
Ads