Movie Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

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"For the animals that didn't have a dad to put them in a boat, the end of the world already happened."

Beasts of the Southern Wild is Behn Zeitlin's directing debut which earned Best Director Oscar nomination for him. Deserved!

I enjoyed the movie very much and there are couple of reasons for it. To begin with, Quvenzhane Wallis, whose performance I consider to be the best this year. This 6 years old (she was six during filming) girl's acting is so confident, emotional, beautiful and natural that it made me love the whole film.

Hushpuppy (Wallis) is a little girl under guardianship of her father - Wink (Dwight Henry). She has never seen mom, who abandoned family the moment child was born. Wink tends to drink pretty much and makes daughter live separately. However dad tries to teach Hushpuppy how to do things herself - father would not always be able to take care.

Quvenzhane's character is a child and adult the same time. She feels, plays and interacts with other people as a child, but the same time, she is very independent, protecting herself and father. Hushpuppy feels her connection not only to nature and animals, but also to the prehistoric era, represented throughout the film by her interest in prehistoric beasts called aurochs that have been released from the ice and make their way to the Bathtub. And then she decides to be the only one, who can protect her ill father and people she cares about.

The film itself is very beautiful. Each scene is colorful, precisely edited and superbly shot - especially the one with night fireworks. Behn shows every character or event in the eyes of Wallis. We see her father like she sees her father. We see Miss Bathsheeba like she sees Miss Bathsheeba. And this is amazing because it make Beasts of Southern Wild very warm and lovely piece of cinematography.

To keep it short, I'll say one more thing: it is hard to understand everything what happens in the movie is real or just an imagination of little girl. Each may decide on their own and that's why every person should see the film.

8/10