Having blasted onto the world stage with 1998’s Festen, director Thomas Vinterberg finally makes his companion piece and it’s every bit as provocative, controversial and brilliant.
Festen took on the dark world of child abuse. The Hunt has another look into that murky world, but bravely tells what happens when a man is falsely accused. The quite superb Mads Mikkelsen, still one of the best Bond villains, completely switches character to play Lucas, a sympathetic and lively teacher in an infants’ school.
Lucas’ life is coming together nicely his son wants to live with him instead of his mother, he enjoys his healthy lifestyle and the odd weekend shoot with his pals, and he begins a relationship with the pretty janitor at the school. Even the simple pleasures, such as walking his lovely dog, are enough for him, and he loves his job teaching kids.
All that changes one fateful day. Lucas’ neighbours Theo and Agnes are feckless and too busy to properly look after their toddler, Klara. Lucas, attentive and sympathetic, keeps having to pick her up or walk her home. Klara, mistaking his attention for something else, kisses him on the lips and insists on walking his dog. When Lucas gently fends her off she tells the headmistress he sexually abused her getting some of the details from the porn shown to her by her idiotic brother.
The headmistress flies into a panic despite claiming she will follow protocol she does pretty much everything wrong, including telling Lucas that Klara has made accusations against him. In no time at all the entire village knows of the accusations, and Lucas’ life simply disintegrates. He loses his job, his girlfriend abandons him, his friends shun him or even resort to violence bricks through the window are the least of his troubles. Soon reports are flying around that several children have been abused, all of them testifying to police, describing Lucas’ basement where the crimes allegedly took place.
Lucas refuses to move away, but his life becomes increasingly bleak and desperate. Even his son lashes out at the neighbours, and when Lucas visits Klara’s parents to explain himself, the results are disastrous. Even the poor old dog isn’t safe.
The brilliance of Vinterberg’s story is in its detail. A story about unfounded child abuse has a huge responsibility to get it right, and Vinterberg gets the details spot on. Klara’s story is partly suggested by the pornography her brother shows her, by the neglect her parents are showing, and partly on suggestion by adults. Both the headmistress and her boss pretty much put words into the child’s mouth, and even when she retracts her story it’s too late society has already made its mind up. She admits her story was a foolish fantasy’ twice but the adults have convinced themselves it’s true.
When the story plays out in a way that suggests justice will win out, Vinterberg then pulls the rug with a brilliant last sequence set in the forest during a deer hunt, a setting that bookmarks the film and which is visually stunning. The bulk of the story is told in an unfussy, hand-held but utterly compelling way, concentrating totally on the huge issue without resorting to clichés or cop-outs.
To play a possible child molester you need a fantastic actor, and Mikkelsen is the man. Kevin Bacon had a great stab at it in the excellent The Woodsman, but here Mikkelsen goes through the whole range of gears. It’s the role of a lifetime and he never slips.
Overall verdict: Stunning, gripping and compelling drama examining the deeply uncomfortable subject of a misguided accusation of child abuse. Essential viewing.
Reviewer: Mike Martin