Hunting (2012)

Directed by: Thomas Vinterberg | 111 minutes | drama | Actors: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Alexandra Rapaport, Annika Wedderkopp, Lasse Fogelstrøm, Susse Wold, Anne Louise Hassing, Lars Ranthe, Ole Dupont, Rikke Bergmann, Katrine Brygmann, Allan Wibor Christensen, Nina Christrup, Daniel Engstrup, Josefine Steen Ordell Guldbrandsen, Øyvind Hagen-Traberg, Nicolai Dahl Hamilton, Bjarne Henriksen, Karina Fogh Holmkjær, Jacob Højlev Jørgensen, Jytte Kvinesdal, Birgit Petersen, Rasmus Lind Rubin, Frank Rubæk, Søren Rønholt, Sebastian Bull Sarning, Troels

Thomas Vinterberg comes eerily close to reality with his film ‘Jagten’ (2012). As he did before with ‘Festen’ (1998), the film that gave him his international breakthrough. At first glance, just like in that film, there seems to be nothing wrong in ‘Hunting’. Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is recently divorced and tries to make the best of it. The fact that he doesn’t see his son often enough bothers him, but he also gets plenty of support from his friends to pick up the thread of his new life. Life seems to smile on him when he gets a new girlfriend (Alexandra Rapaport) at the kindergarten where he works. But then the atmosphere suddenly changes completely. Lucas, who until then was highly regarded by the children, is accused of child abuse overnight. Five-year-old Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), who is secretly in love with him, is angry because Lucas is deliberately keeping her at a distance. That, combined with a snippet of a pornographic image her older brother showed her on his iPad, causes the girl to be confused. Kindergarten teacher Grethe (Susse Wold) asks the withdrawn child a few questions and draws her conclusions…

And suddenly Lucas’s so carefully constructed new life suddenly falls apart. At first he has no idea how much impact Klara’s ‘accusation’ has. He wants to sleep on it for a while and then talk about it quietly. But the next day the damage was already done. He is put on hold (logically, pending the continuation of this case), but the custody case concerning his son (Lasse Fogelstrom) is also delayed. Meanwhile, he is left in the dark about the charge and source of the charge, and is not given any opportunity to tell his side of the story. The fact that Klara is the daughter of his best friend Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen, who we saw earlier in ‘Festen’) doesn’t make things any easier, because soon the whole village turns against Lucas. Only his hunting friend Bruun (Lars Ranthe) seems to believe in his innocence, all his other friends turn against him. Somehow you can still imagine their concern, but the atmosphere quickly becomes grim. In fact, a veritable witch hunt is developing for the alleged child molester. Just a simple daily activity such as running an errand at the local supermarket literally gives him the necessary damage.

In ‘Hunting’ the question is not whether Lucas is guilty of the abuse or not – after all, we see exactly what happens and how one comment from a five-year-old child takes on a life of its own. Vinterberg therefore does not focus on the question of guilt, but on the consequences that such an accusation can have. Your best friends, your closest neighbours, that nice baker or butcher on the corner: suddenly they turn out to be aggressive people who would prefer to hang you from the highest tree. That approach makes ‘Hunting’ an interesting psychological study, because somewhere you can imagine those feelings very well. Even when little Klara, who has no idea what she’s been up to and would rather just walk home from school with Lucas and his dog as she always did before, retracts her statement and almost literally says that Lucas has nothing to do with her. has done, the masses appear adamant. The scene in the church on Christmas Eve is rock-solid and terrifying, in which a badly battered and disillusioned Lucas deliberately confronts the villagers. The tension is to die for, the silence in the church ominous.

‘Hunting’ is a film that hits like a bomb, precisely because Vinterberg holds up a mirror to his audience. It is a drama without fuss, supported by strong performances. Of course, Mikkelsen shines here in the role of anti-hero, who has been too passive for a long time because he is paralyzed by the consequences of the accusation. It is not for nothing that Mikkelsen received the actor prize during the Cannes festival. But the young Klara Wedderkopp – natural and fragile, as you would expect from a child – also makes a deep impression. Her eyes speak volumes. ‘Hunting’ is a film that provokes discussion and that makes you scrutinize your own behavior. Injustice, condemnation and paranoia are powerful themes that are elaborated here in a penetrating way. Vinterberg hasn’t made such an intense and convincing film since ‘Festen’. A drama that gets under your skin. Could it be a coincidence that sexual abuse plays a central role in both films? The shocking final conclusion of the film makes it very clear that the scars can never be completely erased.