Beasts of the Southern Wild

[Bourne101]

Directed by Benh Zeitlin

Written by Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin

Genre: Drama

Plot Outline: Faced with her father's fading health and environmental changes that release an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy leaves her Delta-community home in search of her mother.

Starring: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes

Rated PG-13 for thematic material including child imperilment, some disturbing images, language and brief sensuality

Runtime: 91 minutes

I've heard nothing but good things, but I'm keeping my expectations in check.

[SpikeDurden]

I'll be seeing this Wednesday night. Some of the reviews are quite stellar, and despite having seen the trailer multiple times I still really have no idea what it's about. Looking forward.

[Lazy Boy]

It's best to keep expectations in check. Go in with a blank slate and try not to be influenced by critics who will tell you how great it is. It felt. Whether or not it lives up to that level, is up to the viewer.

There's a lot of good elements to be found -- the performances are naturalistic as hell, the score is quite oddly mesmerizing (it was co-composed by the director) and there are some great shots/moments (Hush Puppy running with the sparklers; recalling how many times she was held as an infant) but it didn't strike me as the next great American film from the next great American filmmaker. Zeitlin has potential. I think he could've erred and made the film a patronizing view of southern eccentrics in the wake of Katrina but he avoids that. Some of the metaphor/narration was heavy handed, though.

Wallis is going to definitely work the circuit, as apparent by the Q&A session. I don't know if she'll make history as the youngest Best Actress nominee ever, but don't be surprised. To me, the real inspiring moment was hearing from Dwight Henry (who plays the father), a guy who basically ran his own bakery and never acted in his life til he heard they were auditioning for a movie.

[arto_j]

I'm really looking forward to this. I haven't read any of the reviews but got the feeling it's been a crowd pleaser along with the excited critical reaction.

[Lazy Boy]

Here's a link to the mesmerizing score I was talking about:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bea...ic/id539534975

It's got this Carter Burwell or Nick Cave (a la Jesse James) feel to it. "Once There Was a Hushpuppy" is a key track.

[Bourne101]

Originally Posted by Lazy Boy

Here's a link to the mesmerizing score I was talking about:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bea...ic/id539534975

It's got this Carter Burwell or Nick Cave (a la Jesse James) feel to it. "Once There Was a Hushpuppy" is a key track.

Great stuff.

[SpikeDurden]

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a singular and overwhelming work. It reminds us of the power of cinema and that it is the most rounded art form because it not only combines all audio and visual elements, it can inspire us to feel. Through simplicity and energy, life and joy, dedication and detail, debut filmmaker Benh Zeitlin has crafted a film of sheer beauty. It has the rare and innate ability to inspire awe in the most old fashioned sense of the word. It is an assured and accomplished work that lifts us up to the ceiling. It is ultimately indescribable, though I will try my best.

There are elements of the work of others that one can draw from in order to attempt to rationalize a full picture of the tone and mood of Beasts. Hints of Terrence Malick, early David Gordon Green, and Maurice Sendack form together in a strange way, yet what Zeitlin has made is also uniquely his own. Beasts of the Southern Wild simultaneously exists in both the real world and in its own universe. It makes clear and obvious allusions to Hurricane Katrine without explicitly commenting on it, and it is a film that consciously decides to not deal with social, racial, and political issues. The color and financial situation of its characters, though clearly detailed, doesn’t matter in the least. Beasts of the Southern Wild has something else entirely on its mind. A world unto itself has been created called The Bathtub. Separated from everything else by a giant levee, The Bathtub is a richly imagined world crafted and constructed with great detail, and filled with incredibly pure life and individuals who exemplify just that. Our young heroine Hushpuppy and her father Wink reside in The Bathtub. It is their home, their life, their land. In the course of the film’s brief 90 minutes, each and every one of which is used to its fullest potential, The Bathtub faces its destruction and miraculously begins to come back to life.

This film is Hushpuppy’s story, and through her eyes it is a profound coming of age tale in a classical sense. Young Quvenzhane Wallis is exceptional in the role; she is filled with strength and force and a huge soul. Her narration comments both on how she views her experiences and surprisingly philosophical notions for a 6 year old child. Throughout the film we chart the course of her relationship with her father, Wink. Portrayed by Dwight Henry in his first film role, Wink is clearly sick and a bit tempermental, but wants nothing more than to care for his daughter and teach her how to survive the Bathtub way. Henry’s role is a bit showier, but both him and young Wallis are incredibly nuanced and naturalistic, as if they simply are these characters. Their chemistry and relationship is palpable.

Utilizing elements of magical realism, Beasts of the Southern Wild is ultimately a story of survival. Hushpuppy must face her fears and grow up far too young, coming to terms with her place in the universe. Despite what others outside of The Bathtub may say, she fights to hold on to her home and preserve it for herself and her friends and family. The film does not tell a narrative in the traditional sense and is more interested in mood, atmosphere, feeling, and tone. By combining spectacular, free flowing imagery as crafted by director of photography Ben Richardson and the incredibly fresh and flavorful music score by Dan Romer and Zeitlin himself, we are simply transported to this unusual but vital world. In artistic terms the film is almost impressionistic. It is a wonder to behold, and has a power over the audience that is quite rare.

The film plays with ideas of the strength of imagination and tests the audience every step of the way. A group of prehistoric creatures known as aurochs that were frozen in the polar ice caps escape and set a course for destruction. Hushpuppy tells us about these creatures and we know that in some way their paths must intertwine. In its final act, Beasts of the Southern Wild reaches dizzying heights of construction and emotion, and I was left shaking in my seat, overwhelmed, refreshed, and inspired. The film is about strength, vitality, the power of imagination, love for family and our home, and ultimately how at the end of the day we are each just a tiny little piece of the giant puzzle. With unabashed joy and admiration for human life, Benh Zeitlin and his co-writer and friend Lucy Alibar has made a film that is as vivid and remarkable as anything else from recent memory. This film defines what cinema can be, and how it can make us feel above all. It is magic.

[Mr.HyDe807]

Benh Zeitlin’s feature film debut is something that is certainly something to be embraced, at least for this film reviewer. There is a love and imagination that Zeitlin throws to the world that feels enormous, magical, and heartwarming. It’s as if the director is making the aspect of film, particularly “art house film”, and an easy feat in of itself. Yet, while this film invokes the power cinema, the emotions that dwell and shape the viewers just seem a tad cold for the most part. Still, despite this viewer’s idea of a bit of disconnectedness, Beasts of the Southern Wild is certainly a film that film goers should check out, especially if they want something more than the usual summer movie flair.

The imagination that Zeitlin exudes in the film’s plot has to do with the setting of The Bathtub, a shantytown surrounded by water, and isolated from the rest of the world. Living in The Bathtub is Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) and her father Wink (Dwight Henry). It’s their relationship that is the backbone of Beasts, never going for the sentimentality between father and daughter, but rather a more external struggle between the two. It’s savage and real, allowing the drama to unfold in a fully realized vision. But, Zeitlin never goes off to the deep end with that intensity, always willing to go for the joyous, neighborly atmosphere that the citizens of The Bathtub have for each other.

The interactions between the casts, particularly six-year Wallis as Hushpuppy, are astounding, as is Zeitlin’s eye behind the camera. Unfortunately, the themes that begin to convey the film’s seem a tad cluttered, so much so that it sort of seeps into the plot itself. This could be the breaking point for some film goers on whether they can go along for the ride in this film, or just be left at the starting gate. It’s not very inaccessible, but there can be moments where the plot gets lost in trying to convey the message of the film.

But, the spectacle and love in this film certainly makes up for some of the misfires that Beasts brings to the table, and concludes in a pretty heartwarming and emotional conclusion for Zeitlin’s film debut. Beasts of the Southern Wild may seem overwhelming and out of the ordinary for some film goers, but if you’re truly willing to jump in The Bathtub, perhaps you’ll discover something completely new and refreshing that this review never even tapped into.

8/10

[MonkeyGoat]

I loved it. It is very philosophical, and a little thick at parts, but overall wonderful. I never would have thought of such a young child having such deep feelings, it was a beautiful film. 9/10

[cerealkiller182]

So far, it is my favorite movie of the year.

[P1NSTR1PEZ]

Just finished watching Beasts of the Southern Wild Didn't know what I was getting into when it started as I've purposely avoided the film for a while. The film has these beautiful triumphant moments that make you, the audience, happy and feel good inside.One of the hardest things to do in film is make the audience care about a character or situation. Beasts showcases glorious moments in this little girl's upbringing that make you care so much. Beautiful film.

[ResidentWakeVille]

Saw this movie as well. Overall, I felt the story was very confusing and overused in certain areas...Didn't click with me on different levels. I give it a 6/10.