Beasts Of The Southern Wild – Review

At its heart, Beasts Of The Southern Wild is a story about the brave, determined Hushpuppy (Wallis) and her volatile father Wink (Henry). Dad and daughter live in a forgotten bayou community cut off from the world by an enormous levee. They subsist off the land – catching their own food, mixing herbs for medicine – and refuse to evacuate in the face of an impending big storm. But their defiant attitude can`t keep the forces of change at bay for long… and Hushpuppy must find a way to reconcile her belief in the natural order and harmony of the universe with a world where terrible things can happen to the people and things she loves.

There are plenty of things that are fascinating about this rich, textured film, chief amongst which is its masterful creation of a world at once very much like our own, and yet one that seems to be set in a parallel universe. Much of this can be attributed to its main character: this is the harsh reality of living in a backward community, with an ailing, temperamental guardian, filtered through the eyes of a child who`s still in that first, rosy blush of being alive. Everything around her is filled with wonder – and so her reality is one in which her father stumbles beneath the weight of illness, even as the prehistoric aurochs she learnt about in school wake from their icy slumbers and journey towards her fracturing home.

In fact, Hushpuppy`s ramshackle world becomes so precious and appealing that the audience might well find themselves recoiling when she`s forced to encounter Civilisation as we know it. For their own safety, her entire community is relocated to a hurricane shelter – which should be a sanctuary but feels like a stifling clinical wasteland, a bleached-white hell on earth that exists in stark contrast to the better, brighter world Hushpuppy is forced to leave behind. The connection is never made explicit, but it`s impossible to watch Beasts Of The Southern Wild without thinking of a similar alienation and loss of community in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.

It`s impossible also to talk about this film without lavishing praise on the two actors that anchor it, both of whom are making their explosive screen debuts. Wallis has come in for the lion`s share of critical acclaim, and for good reason. She fills the screen with light and fire as the fiercely independent Hushpuppy, displaying a courage, wisdom and emotional intelligence far beyond her years. She is ably matched by Henry, whose Wink is a bit of a mess, emotionally and physically, but nevertheless loves his daughter with every atom of his deteriorating body.

Parts of the film don`t work as well as others. Towards the end, Hushpuppy takes a detour that might or might not bring her closer to her departed mother. In and of itself, it`s a beautiful segment, hinting at lost mothers and good food, soundtracked by dreamy jazz from a disappearing age. But it`s a sudden and unexpected plot twist, one that confuses just a little more than it enthralls.

That`s a minor complaint, however. Zeitlin`s first full-length feature film is a wonder – filled with the magic and mystery of a world we both know and barely recognise. By itself, the bare bones of the story are grim, depressing and soaked in tragedy. But Beasts Of The Southern Wild finds hope, strength and love in the darkest of places, and the tiniest of heroes.

Summary: One of the most powerful, unique and inspiring films you`ll see all year.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Shawne Wang