The Hunt
Mads Mikklesen is pretty much everywhere nowadays. If he isn’t starring as brilliant serial killer Hannibal Lecter in the television series Hannibal then he is playing opposite Bond in Casino Royale, or fighting Musketeers. Mikklesen has leaped over to Western cinema and television and our audiences are happy to have him. Yet, in his home country Denmark, Mikklesen still enthrals and delights in some extremely hard hitting dramas such as this topical, unnerving and unrelenting drama The Hunt.
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The Hunt (Jagten) is about Lucas, a middle aged teacher who is recovering after a messy divorce has left him alone. Working at a nursery and enjoying a wholesome interaction with the children, Lucas soon sees a silver lining in his life when he attracts the attentions of the nursery cook, his son plans to come life with him and his social life with great friends. However, when his best friend’s daughter Klara gets confused between events and angrily makes a remark. Her nursery teacher assumes that Lucas acted sexually inappropriately and a rumour starts to develop around town. Lucas becomes the target of mass hysteria and hate, being isolated and persecuted in the small town.
The Hunt is a brutally bleak and striking drama that really gets under the skin. While some may turn away from its slow pace, it is actually important to the drama. It is a unashamed and utterly real tale on how a whole town can turn its back on someone they thought was a friend. After all, a rumour such as child sexual abuse, you cannot blame the town that they jumped upon the hunt and joined in loathing against Lucas. Although he was solely innocent, it is clear that the there are no real enemies here; just a couple of leading questions, a misinterpretation of words and over protection. Director Thomas Vinterberg uses the plodding small town setting, incredibly beautiful landscape and the close knit community well to layer the drama.
The most powerful thing in The Hunt is Mads Mikklesen performance that so rightly earned him the Palme D’Or. Here as Lucas, Mikklesen effectively plays two sides of a coin so well that it is astonishing and captivating. On one side he plays a quite mild mannered man who is struggling to get his life back. This sweet and soft Lucas makes his persecution so brutal. The other side of the coin is the man who has been lashed with wagging tongues and the chains of a false scandal. As this Lucas, Mikklesen is perfect. He does not over or under play the characters despair. In fact, much like Vinterbergs direction, he stacks a quiet pain with unexpected outburst every now and then. He lines his eyes with tears, quivers his lips and draws the emotion of the audience into his plight.
The Hunt is a wonderfully done drama that is a merger of two terrific people; Vinterberg and Mikklesen. Supported by a strong cast, from all ages, The Hunt is a great and harrowing drama. It is about how easy children are believe, how gossip spreads and how an accusation clings easily. It hooks in like a claw and refuses to let go even after watching it. It asks difficult questions and hits home, making your think and feel all at the same time.
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