The Hunt

No matter what anybody might say, Mads Mikkelsen is the most interesting and the best contemporary European actor. Each of his characters on the screen is alive. Not only alive, they’re downright breathing through the screen. In my opinion, The Hunt is the best notch on his belt that must win everyone over. I get that he took advantage of the current situation of the Danish cinema which is full of the best screenwriters and directors, but he was simply destined to be born into this very era and he made the best possible use of it due to his personality. The Hunt is a difficult movie to watch. It’s actually about a topic that is hard to talk about and just as hard to film. It’s a taboo that stirred the pot in this movie. The amazing thing is that the screenwriter apparently analyzed the human nature all his life and showed exactly what we, as human beings, are capable of doing and what we are not capable of doing. After an absurd discovery, Mads transforms with each single second of this movie and the viewer drowns in a depression that will leave you restless. That’s exactly what movies are about. About emotions and feelings that each of us should think about regularly. The Hunt managed to do that, and I must say that it is one of the few movies that aren’t afraid to reveal the truth hidden somewhere in the corner of each of us. (01/11/2013)

Pure genre matters with all of the pros (great work with actors, excellent atmosphere, accessibility in the best sense of the word) and cons (easy manipulativeness and calculation, quite gradual exposition). Vinterberg also refined the director's approach from Submarino and is definitely one of the best creators of mainstream drama who is able to sell simplicity without offensive banality. Watching a second time only confirmed for me the good work that the Danish filmmaker did - the scheme that many point out here, as well as the considerable archetypality of the protagonist's life situation (alienated from the polis for a sin he did not commit) is functionally reflected in the structure of the film and repeated motifs of "collective ritual" (cyclical framework of the year / initiation celebration in the form of a hunt / Christmas Eve in a small village). The Hunt thus refers more to something that is universal in human society and persists in spite of a specific era (I see no attempt to create artificial problems, the "north" has had a lot of chimeras in relation to children for a long time, which only strengthens the seemingly compact morality of the community). It is hard not to see a link to key dogmatic topics here - only the vision has completely changed. Vinterberg does not go as far as Trier in deliberately stripping the schemes - his last two films are mainly about the search for a decent testimony and finding surprisingly strong characters. Lucas is an enchanting character with an inner evolution, from hunted game to a moral memento that proudly looks into the eyes. And, with her intensity and detail, Annika Wedderkopp's acting performance is a small miracle. The Hunt is simply a Danish drama in a nutshell - admittedly schematic, yet taciturn at key moments, reflecting "an overly close and proper community" and its hidden demons. Paradoxically, it’s not an issue that you are one move ahead of the director - it's about the power of realization, not a moment of surprise (in this context, this year I am thinking of Petzold's great Barbara, who is built on the same principle). And that power is still amazing in my eyes. (07/07/2012)

I admit, I don't like films made in the style of Dogme 95 - just like any other dogma, they limit possibilities and narrow the space for cinematic expressions. The Hunt represents a rare case where it works, and thanks to its exceptionally strong theme, we don't have to deal with the set or the language of cinema. For the movie experience, only he, his work, and his friends are enough. Nothing is and can be the same as before. Apparent certainties collapse like a house of cards, and an uncertain future remains, along with the certainty that one can only rely on oneself. Thomas Vinterberg carefully constructs his drama, building it on solid foundations and portraying his characters convincingly psychologically. From the heated clash in the church, where one would expect the scene to end with an uncompromising fight behind the church gates, the previously flawlessly functioning machinery begins to stutter somewhat. I don't believe in miraculous happy endings, even tainted by a lonely avenger. Public opinion is much quicker with its judgments than justice, and it doesn't care about the presumption of innocence. It doesn't carry out the rehabilitation of its victims, and it doesn't shy away from spreading the wildest rumors extensively. If it goes that far, there is no way back. The more passionately you defend yourself, the more suspicious you will appear to those around you. Guilt can be proven, but innocence cannot. In real life, the only solution is burning bridges and moving to an anonymous foreign environment. Sometimes retreat can mean a bitter victory. To elaborate on the fact that Mikkelsen represents one of the greatest acting talents of the current European scene would be to state the obvious. Despite certain shortcomings, I don't hesitate to give this film the highest rating. Overall impression: 90%. (15/04/2015)

Mads Mikkelsen movies are the place to go to get wet. Sometimes it's also a pleasant surprise from another point of view. That’s what The Hunt is like. It’s a story about how our kids are getting a bit out of control. And it's not just the fundamentally democratic US that's in trouble, but the otherwise progressive Scandinavia is in the same mess. It may have started as a little film about male emancipation, but it broke down nicely into an appeal for herd restraint. (14/08/2013)

Not very rational and lacking logic and common sense, though the Nordic small town full of ordinary workers who don't think much about anything seems to be very authentic. But I would definitely not put captivating performances and a fantastic atmosphere+screenplay over the sensible use of facts and brainpower. The accusation as well as the explanation are clichés of a heavy caliber.. Nevertheless, Vinterberg is still a great director because he can turn crap into something captivating with a number of scenes, where either you get goosebumps or at least put your hand in front of your mouth and be amazed. (23/02/2015)