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Hunt, The
Magnolia Home Entertainment // R // December 10, 2013
List Price: $29.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Film:
Thomas Vinterberg has found a way to turn a pre-school girl into something of a villain in The Hunt (Jagten), a morally and psychologically complex dramatic-thriller -- perhaps even a bit of a horror film -- centered on the crowd mentality of inquisitions based on unfalsifiable accusations. By design, the material here is tough to digest: it focuses on how a community reacts to damning charges of indecency towards children, centered on how the composure and sanity of a teacher in a small town crumbles as his new reputation takes shape around the exacerbating situation. Working off a straight-shooting script with a surprisingly balanced point of view, Vinterberg artfully communicates the film's sensitive messages in an uncompromising depiction of witch hunts and irreparable damage done to the accused, allowing appropriate responses to form around children's innocence and the quickly-dismantled trust in others.
After taking a job at a kindergarten within a tight-knit Danish community, divorcee Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) lives a relatively quiet life filled with normal activities: hunting and drinking with his friends, timidly approaching a new romance with his co-worker, Nadja (Alexandra Rapaport), walking his dog, and bickering with his stubborn wife about custody of their son. It's both surprising and not how quickly the situation goes south when Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), the imaginative young daughter of his best friend, Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen), and one of his closer pupils, unthinkingly accuses Lucas of revealing his genitals to her on the nursery's grounds, a reaction to her disappointment with how he took her affection. On the rushed, concerned steam of such charges with little to no proof, the town promptly begins to shun Lucas, turning most people against him. Everything -- his job, his romance, his custody discussions, his ability to do everyday things -- expectedly dismantles around Lucas, leaving him with few options in combating Klara's flippant and fraudulent claim.
To say that it's difficult to craft a even-handed portrayal of this topic would be an understatement, but Vinterberg has capably done so with The Hunt, earning sympathy for both accusers and accused as psychosomatic tension builds around Lucas. At first, the film focuses on his attitude and everyday activities as a means of establishing his nature as a person, almost in the way a character witness might depict him during a trial where his integrity is in question. Moments of tenderness and humor created by the inclusive community, as well as Lucas' dedication to his son and mindfulness at work, showcase how even strong appreciation of a person's amiable character can crumble under the weight of allegation and hysteria. Lucas' future problems might be foreseeable, but the authenticity in the actions and reactions of the community -- the modern equivalent of a witch hunt -- absorbs us into his powerless frustration, navigated by that grasp on his innocence.
Much of The Hunt explores Lucas' deteriorating emotional and mental state, captured in a brilliantly nuanced performance from Mads Mikkelsen. The actor's quiet intensity responds in exceptional ways to varied scenes of accusation, substituting overwrought knee-jerk reactions with cautious confusion and composed rage, gradually amplifying with his worsening conditions. That's partially because Vinterberg
knows when to play the intensity card; with him, Mikkelsen expertly realizes the emotional progression of a reserved yet passionate man gradually pushed to the edge. He's surrounded by a range of fine performances to fill out the townsfolk ready to pull out their figurative torches and pitchforks, ably interacting with Mikkelsen's somber, complex performance. Most important of them, naturally, would be Annika Wedderkopp as the young accuser Klara, who nails the subtly haunting personality of a young girl who dismantles Lucas' life with a vague, bitter fib she almost stops caring about mid-sentence.
The Hunt leaves one wondering about what's ultimately going to happen to Lucas once the bureaucratic dust settles, whether the truth will find a way to the surface or whether an innocent man will go to jail due to a child's spite ... or worse. This gives weight to the suspense as calls for action intensify from the community, creating an concentrated, stable pace within the ominous atmosphere. Moments here made me feel more on-edge than many dedicated thrillers, blending his ostracization with the growing awareness that he's no longer safe in his own home, on the street, or in his local grocery store. Perhaps the most discomforting thing about it comes in the fact that the community's misgivings (not their actions) aren't exactly unjustified, given the lack of evidence either way and the reliance on trying to validate the young girl's honesty. Sooner or later, it confronts the audiences with the fact that they could be rooting "against" people merely concerned for the welfare of their kids, when the only things deserving of that attention are a momentary lapse in judgment and how Klara picked up on indecent thoughts.
Ultimately, the material here is about as alarming and intentionally-exasperating as one might expect: there are no easy answers or takeaways in the gray thematic area The Hunt creates, all the way down to how the film's haunting final shot reinforces exactly how long suspicion endures. There are messages here that the film could've forcefully emboldened -- about the fragility of reputation, the inflammation of the mob mentality, and the unreliability of testimonies -- but Vinterberg allows the story to express its purposes on neutral dramatic ground, where the situation itself coneys more than enough through Lucas' tribulations. It takes a lot of gumption to lay the material out in this fashion, and it makes this well-made and gut-churning realization of a (mostly) likely conundrum because of it, created by something as innocuous as a child's little white lie. It's a riveting piece of work that, all the way until its end, understands that Klara's slip-up will always have repercussions, regardless of Lucas' official guilt or innocence.
The Blu-ray:
Video and Audio:
Magnolia Home Entertainment clearly understand that they've got something special on their hands with The Hunt, because they've delivered a knockout Blu-ray presentation, starting with the razor-sharp, impeccably-detailed 2.35:1-framed 1080p AVC digital transfer. Vinterberg's film is unassumingly beautiful with its sunless, chilly outdoor exteriors and darker interiors with warmer lighting, both of which appear with exceptional color temperatures and immaculate contrast balance, never losing details or sporting unstable black levels. Fine details are frequently stunning during the film's many close-ups, from facial hair to the contour of Mikkelsen's glasses, while the density of branches and other elements in the wooded areas never misses a beat (if anything, it's slightly soft due to the source). In all, though, for all intents and purposes, The Hunt looks damn near perfect.
Naturally, most of the film's sound design focuses on the Danish dialogue, but there are a few surprisingly impressive sonic elements that emerge in this 5-channel Master Audio track, taking it several notches above expectations. First, the obvious: every ounce of verbal content is razor sharp and mindful of bass balance, remaining highly interactive with the surrounding environments -- outdoors and indoors -- while comfortably filling the front end. There's delicateness and nuance here that's noticeably impressive, too, such as the sound of rainfall and a shovel scraping. On top of that, though, there were a few surprising punches, too, namely the loud, unsettling shattering of a window and the firing of a rifle round, each exquisitely well-balanced, showing awareness of the rear channels, and resoundingly potent. Terrific accompaniment.
Special Features:
Sadly, there's not a lot of extras available for The Hunt, with the most significant being a brief Making of The Hunt (6:59, 16x9 HD) featurette. While short, the interview snippets with Thomas Vinterberg and Mads Mikkelsen are very high-quality and earnest about their passion for the film. The other noteworthy extra available here is an Alternate Ending (1:29, 16x9 HD) -- one of those endings that only changes one detail, yet completely alters the tone and tenor the audience is left with at the close. Outtakes and Deleted/Alternate Scenes (12:23, 16x9 HD) and a Theatrical Trailer (2:09, 16x9 HD) are also available. More interviews and exploration of the development process would've been a pleasant addition, but the little bits available here and worth checking out.
Final Thoughts:
Make no mistake: this Danish production about a teacher falsely accused of sexually assaulting a child is among the best films released this year, a powerhouse representation of toxic groupthink, unfalsifiable accusations, and the easy corruptibility of trust. This tricky and unsettling material, however, makes The Hunt a film many might not want to watch too many times, despite a crackerjack performance from Mads Mikkelsen and many moments of filmmaking artistry as it captures innate human emotion and unyielding dramatic tension. It's a film that certainly should be seen, though, and this is a magnificent way to do so. Magnolia's Blu-ray, while being somewhat light on extras, boasts superb audiovisual properties, making the high-definition screening experience one to really appreciate. Highly Recommended, though some might want to give it a spin before committing to a purchase due to the subject matter.
Thomas Spurlin, Staff Reviewer -- DVDTalk Reviews | Personal Blog/Site
Thomas Vinterberg has found a way to turn a pre-school girl into something of a villain in The Hunt (Jagten), a morally and psychologically complex dramatic-thriller -- perhaps even a bit of a horror film -- centered on the crowd mentality of inquisitions based on unfalsifiable accusations. By design, the material here is tough to digest: it focuses on how a community reacts to damning charges of indecency towards children, centered on how the composure and sanity of a teacher in a small town crumbles as his new reputation takes shape around the exacerbating situation. Working off a straight-shooting script with a surprisingly balanced point of view, Vinterberg artfully communicates the film's sensitive messages in an uncompromising depiction of witch hunts and irreparable damage done to the accused, allowing appropriate responses to form around children's innocence and the quickly-dismantled trust in others. After taking a job at a kindergarten within a tight-knit Danish community, divorcee Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) lives a relatively quiet life filled with normal activities: hunting and drinking with his friends, timidly approaching a new romance with his co-worker, Nadja (Alexandra Rapaport), walking his dog, and bickering with his stubborn wife about custody of their son. It's both surprising and not how quickly the situation goes south when Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), the imaginative young daughter of his best friend, Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen), and one of his closer pupils, unthinkingly accuses Lucas of revealing his genitals to her on the nursery's grounds, a reaction to her disappointment with how he took her affection. On the rushed, concerned steam of such charges with little to no proof, the town promptly begins to shun Lucas, turning most people against him. Everything -- his job, his romance, his custody discussions, his ability to do everyday things -- expectedly dismantles around Lucas, leaving him with few options in combating Klara's flippant and fraudulent claim.
To say that it's difficult to craft a even-handed portrayal of this topic would be an understatement, but Vinterberg has capably done so with The Hunt, earning sympathy for both accusers and accused as psychosomatic tension builds around Lucas. At first, the film focuses on his attitude and everyday activities as a means of establishing his nature as a person, almost in the way a character witness might depict him during a trial where his integrity is in question. Moments of tenderness and humor created by the inclusive community, as well as Lucas' dedication to his son and mindfulness at work, showcase how even strong appreciation of a person's amiable character can crumble under the weight of allegation and hysteria. Lucas' future problems might be foreseeable, but the authenticity in the actions and reactions of the community -- the modern equivalent of a witch hunt -- absorbs us into his powerless frustration, navigated by that grasp on his innocence.
Much of The Hunt explores Lucas' deteriorating emotional and mental state, captured in a brilliantly nuanced performance from Mads Mikkelsen. The actor's quiet intensity responds in exceptional ways to varied scenes of accusation, substituting overwrought knee-jerk reactions with cautious confusion and composed rage, gradually amplifying with his worsening conditions. That's partially because Vinterberg
knows when to play the intensity card; with him, Mikkelsen expertly realizes the emotional progression of a reserved yet passionate man gradually pushed to the edge. He's surrounded by a range of fine performances to fill out the townsfolk ready to pull out their figurative torches and pitchforks, ably interacting with Mikkelsen's somber, complex performance. Most important of them, naturally, would be Annika Wedderkopp as the young accuser Klara, who nails the subtly haunting personality of a young girl who dismantles Lucas' life with a vague, bitter fib she almost stops caring about mid-sentence. The Hunt leaves one wondering about what's ultimately going to happen to Lucas once the bureaucratic dust settles, whether the truth will find a way to the surface or whether an innocent man will go to jail due to a child's spite ... or worse. This gives weight to the suspense as calls for action intensify from the community, creating an concentrated, stable pace within the ominous atmosphere. Moments here made me feel more on-edge than many dedicated thrillers, blending his ostracization with the growing awareness that he's no longer safe in his own home, on the street, or in his local grocery store. Perhaps the most discomforting thing about it comes in the fact that the community's misgivings (not their actions) aren't exactly unjustified, given the lack of evidence either way and the reliance on trying to validate the young girl's honesty. Sooner or later, it confronts the audiences with the fact that they could be rooting "against" people merely concerned for the welfare of their kids, when the only things deserving of that attention are a momentary lapse in judgment and how Klara picked up on indecent thoughts.
Ultimately, the material here is about as alarming and intentionally-exasperating as one might expect: there are no easy answers or takeaways in the gray thematic area The Hunt creates, all the way down to how the film's haunting final shot reinforces exactly how long suspicion endures. There are messages here that the film could've forcefully emboldened -- about the fragility of reputation, the inflammation of the mob mentality, and the unreliability of testimonies -- but Vinterberg allows the story to express its purposes on neutral dramatic ground, where the situation itself coneys more than enough through Lucas' tribulations. It takes a lot of gumption to lay the material out in this fashion, and it makes this well-made and gut-churning realization of a (mostly) likely conundrum because of it, created by something as innocuous as a child's little white lie. It's a riveting piece of work that, all the way until its end, understands that Klara's slip-up will always have repercussions, regardless of Lucas' official guilt or innocence.
The Blu-ray:
 |  |
Video and Audio:
Magnolia Home Entertainment clearly understand that they've got something special on their hands with The Hunt, because they've delivered a knockout Blu-ray presentation, starting with the razor-sharp, impeccably-detailed 2.35:1-framed 1080p AVC digital transfer. Vinterberg's film is unassumingly beautiful with its sunless, chilly outdoor exteriors and darker interiors with warmer lighting, both of which appear with exceptional color temperatures and immaculate contrast balance, never losing details or sporting unstable black levels. Fine details are frequently stunning during the film's many close-ups, from facial hair to the contour of Mikkelsen's glasses, while the density of branches and other elements in the wooded areas never misses a beat (if anything, it's slightly soft due to the source). In all, though, for all intents and purposes, The Hunt looks damn near perfect.
Naturally, most of the film's sound design focuses on the Danish dialogue, but there are a few surprisingly impressive sonic elements that emerge in this 5-channel Master Audio track, taking it several notches above expectations. First, the obvious: every ounce of verbal content is razor sharp and mindful of bass balance, remaining highly interactive with the surrounding environments -- outdoors and indoors -- while comfortably filling the front end. There's delicateness and nuance here that's noticeably impressive, too, such as the sound of rainfall and a shovel scraping. On top of that, though, there were a few surprising punches, too, namely the loud, unsettling shattering of a window and the firing of a rifle round, each exquisitely well-balanced, showing awareness of the rear channels, and resoundingly potent. Terrific accompaniment.
Special Features:
Sadly, there's not a lot of extras available for The Hunt, with the most significant being a brief Making of The Hunt (6:59, 16x9 HD) featurette. While short, the interview snippets with Thomas Vinterberg and Mads Mikkelsen are very high-quality and earnest about their passion for the film. The other noteworthy extra available here is an Alternate Ending (1:29, 16x9 HD) -- one of those endings that only changes one detail, yet completely alters the tone and tenor the audience is left with at the close. Outtakes and Deleted/Alternate Scenes (12:23, 16x9 HD) and a Theatrical Trailer (2:09, 16x9 HD) are also available. More interviews and exploration of the development process would've been a pleasant addition, but the little bits available here and worth checking out.
Final Thoughts:
Make no mistake: this Danish production about a teacher falsely accused of sexually assaulting a child is among the best films released this year, a powerhouse representation of toxic groupthink, unfalsifiable accusations, and the easy corruptibility of trust. This tricky and unsettling material, however, makes The Hunt a film many might not want to watch too many times, despite a crackerjack performance from Mads Mikkelsen and many moments of filmmaking artistry as it captures innate human emotion and unyielding dramatic tension. It's a film that certainly should be seen, though, and this is a magnificent way to do so. Magnolia's Blu-ray, while being somewhat light on extras, boasts superb audiovisual properties, making the high-definition screening experience one to really appreciate. Highly Recommended, though some might want to give it a spin before committing to a purchase due to the subject matter.
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