Review of Moonrise Kingdom (2012) by Sara H — 24 Apr 2018

The film Moonrise Kingdom, directed by Wes Anderson, opened in the box office in 2012. The film can be analyzed alongside other child romances such as Little Manhattan. What makes Moonrise Kingdom stand out is the world which it portrays.

It is not a utopian society, nor is it magical, but there is something awfully enchanting about this little island. The island itself is 16 miles wide, yet its only inhabitants seem to be our main characters.

Though it is set to take place in the 1960s, there are no cultural references or allusions to justify this. Besides the costumes, the film could really be presented at any year and its main themes would still clearly come across.

The two themes of the film are escapism and innocence. Suzy, our heroine, lives with her parents and 3 brothers in a house next to the lighthouse, which symbolizes for her a tool for escape. Sam, the protagonist, flees his camp in order to meet up with Suzy in the woods.

Both, unhappy and discontented with their lives, are eager for a fresh start, and who better to reestablish yourself with than your pen pal? The second theme of innocence is evident in the fact that the protagonists are both 12 years old.

There are scenes of police chases, burning buildings, the death of a dog, and the stabbing of a child, yet there is a childlike innocence hugging the film. Despite some of the difficult emotional aspects to the movie, the audience never struggles to keep watching.

The lightness and easiness of the dialogue makes for a funny movie, filled with one-liners and tons of irony. Satire may be too strong of a word for it, but, there is definitely an ounce of the satirizing of childhood and how we treat our kids.

The movie proclaims that our children are not so different from ourselves, they want to be accepted, to be respected, and to love just like we do. This is a must-see for the whole family, kids who feel like they deserve more, and adults who need to loosen up alike.