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4/10/2014

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) - Zeitlin's ode to the Louisiana outcast tears your heart in half



+ Best Louisiana Movie of the Year
+ Best Debut Movie of the Year

9 year-old lead Quvenzhané Wallis on the poster for Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild


The girl Hushpuppy has no mother, and her father is a sick drunk. They live in sheds in 'the Bathtub' outside New Orleans, when hurricane Katrina arrives and floods everything.

Beasts is a film about survival, childhood, the force of self preservation and freedom. It is beautifully photographed by Ben Richardson (Drinking Buddies (2013)); an original blend of realism and surrealism in the form of the girl's thoughts philosophies about the universe.
Amazing in her portrayal of the little, granite-cut muscle-girl is newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis (12 Years a Slave (2013)), who became the youngest ever nominated for the Best Actress Oscar (at age 9!) When the strong character finally softens up in a scene SPOILER in a floating bordello, it happens with such force, most will feel activity in their tear-canals. Dwight Henry (12 Years a Slave), also an amateur actor, is phenomenal as her loving but inept father.
Feature-debuting Queens director Benh Zeitlin (Glory at Sea (2008), short) experienced getting Oscar-nominated twice for his first film (direction and adapted screenplay), which also got nominated as Best Film and was called 'spectacular' by President Obama. Furthermore, the low-budget film won the Palme D'Or at Cannes, the world's most prestigious film festival, and made itself back more than 10 times. He has been working on follow-up adventure since, something about the ecosystem... - Performance-angst?
He wrote the screenplay with Lucy Alibar, based on her play Juicy and Delicious. Zeitlin also co-composed the film's strong, ethereal score, with Dan Romer (Beasts of No Nation (2015)), which also deserves praise.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is a miracle of a film, which exemplifies the possibilities of independent filmmaking in today's world. It combines fascinating, simple child beliefs with dysfunctional climate and emergency policies and the indomitable American spirit. The film is swelling with emotion and sympathy for its troubled characters, who manage in spite of conditions. Beasts of Southern Wild is among the year's best films and a surefire masterpiece. 

Related posts:

2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]





Watch the incredible trailer here

Budget: 1.8 mil. $
Box office: 21 mil. $
= Huge hit

What do you think of Beasts?
Have you seen Zeitlin's shorts and if so, how are they?

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