Review of Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) by Thedrauch — 29 Dec 2012

A fantastical, magic revelation of film that demands to be seen. This movie can't be classified beneath any mere genre, for it transcends them all and can only be described as a breathtaking work of art.

I have seen it three times now (admittedly, it did not 'click' cohesively upon the first viewing) and I can proudly say that it is one of the best films of the year, if not one of the best of all time.

The movie really captured me in the way it balanced realistic drama with fantasy elements, as if it were seen through the eyes of a child. The set design (apparently constructed by members of the cast and crew) appears thoroughly lived in and the visuals, while not dominating the narrative, are beautiful and seamless considering the budget constraints of independent features.

The actors (all untrained and cast locally) capture a sense of community in this world known as 'The Bathtub' which takes the abstract elements of the movie and make them feel real. This film also marks the arrival of some very promising new talent.

Never in my memory has the debut of any director been so ambitious, and equal parts fulfillled, as 'Beasts of the Southern Wild', crafted out of love by director Benh Zeitlin. His voice is a secular one, distinctive, yet clear in delivery and always well-intentioned.

He wants nothing else than to envelop us in the medium of film as far as we can go and move us. And I can't leave out the fiery performance by young Quvenzhane Wallis. She is the burning life of this movie, portrayed so realistically that it is damn near unbelievable.

I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that she was only six years old upon filming. Wow. To describe it in comparison to other films, it is like a blend of Terrence Malick's 'The Tree of Life' and Hayao Miyazaki's 'Ponyo', with trace elements of 'Winter's Bone' and 'Precious' (both past Grand Jury Prize winners).

Well, I can't really describe it any further without becoming redundant so I'll leave it at this: 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' is a magical, funny, and at times deeply moving experience that should be given the chance to challenge and inspire you.