Review of Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) by David C — 25 Mar 2013
Movies for adults are seldom told from a child's perspective, and "Beasts of the Southern Wild" makes me regret that that is the case. From an adult perspective that includes some knowledge of Katrina, climate change, and disaster relief, the people who live on a flood-prone island called "the Bathtub" off the coast of Louisiana are taking an unconscionable risk by refusing to relocate to the mainland.
Six-year-old Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis), though, simply sees the island as her home, and the people on it as her extended family. Her understanding of the world includes fantastical elements such as the potential return of long-extinct aurochs, and leaps of faith such as the idea that her absent mother lives near a flashing light on the edge of the horizon.
The most important element of the movie, though, is her real, unvarnished relationship with her father (Dwight Henry), which is one of the most complex, funny, and bittersweet father-child relationships I can recall seeing on screen.
This review of Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) was written by David C on 25 Mar 2013.
Beasts of the Southern Wild has generally received very positive reviews.
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