Beasts
of the Southern Wild is one of those movies that makes you feel cooler just
for watching it. First appearing at the Sundance Film Festival, this movie
definitely deserved all the praise that it’s been getting. Once again, I’m
happy to discover that People Magazine can
be an academic source as well as something fun to read. In an article about the
must-see movies of 2012, journalist Alynda Wheat lists Beasts of the Southern Wild at number four in her list of top ten
movies to watch before the world ends (the article is a little old). I’m glad
the Mayans were wrong and the world did not cease to exist after December 21
because what would I do if I had missed the opening of Les Miserables?? However, if the Mayans had been correct, at least
director slash writer Benh Zeitlin gave us Beasts
of the Southern Wild before our inevitable doom.
There’s no other way to put it. This
movie is just cool, in every sense
possible. Told from the perspective of a six-year-old, Beasts of the Southern Wild is a story about a different end to the
world where global warming on fast forward threatens the lives of a scrappy
group of survivors living on the outskirts of society. You would think that
this story screams political persuasion, posing as a cautionary tale to all of
those who believe that global warming is a fairy tale constructed by “crazy
environmentalists”. However, I could tell that Zeitlin’s true purpose in making
this film was to simply tell a story about survival from a unique perspective.
For the people watching Beasts of the
Southern Wild with a background in environmental studies, I could imagine
that their minds might wander during the film to the controversial problems
relating to global warming. However, if I could speak for the rest of us, I
found the story so enthralling that my mind didn’t have time to wander.
Speaking of time, Beasts of the Southern Wild showed me
how time could be used to further the plot without intense action or dialogue.
In more ways than one, this movie definitely marches the beat of its own drum.
With a flow of faster scenes and slower scenes, the pace of this movie matched
the ebbing water that was its focus: building up and crashing and building up
and crashing like waves of the shore. The constant change of pace kept my
attention from scene to scene. When there was a lack of dialogue, my nose would
be pressed up flat against my computer screen while intently soaking up all the
details. And due to this infrequent dialogue, I appreciated the conversational
scenes so much more.
Another thing that I have touched
much on in my blog so far is the importance of a name in a film. Blake Snyder
stressed the importance of a name in the beginning of his book Save the Cat!.
In the fictional world of film, a name gives a character certain expectations
that they have to meet. Knowing this, many writers address the naming process
with the same level of seriousness that they would use if they were actually
birthing a child. Because in a way, without all the hee-hee-hoos, that’s exactly what they’re doing. There’s a reason
that the super hero is rarely named Eugene and the mean girl is never called
Gertrude. It just wouldn’t work.
Hushpuppy. Benh Zeitlin’s choice of name
for her main character immediately assured me that this movie was going to be
rich with character. When I first heard the six-year-old actress Quvenzhane
Wallis introduce herself with that name, I was insanely jealous that I hadn’t
thought of it first. It also helped that Quvenzhane’s crazy afro, adorably
high-pitched voice, and spunky personality made me fall in love with this main
character right away. Her sweet and innocent, yet impeccably true commentary on
life outside of society grabbed the audience by the shoulders and shook them
awake. This was the kind of movie that grabbed my attention. And how easy is it
to fall in love with a little girl named Hushpuppy?
Not only did Zeitlin get the names
of her characters spot on, but the language she uses to paint Hushpuppy’s world
also made this fantastical film seem like reality. When referring to her home
on the outside of the levees protecting America from the melting icecaps,
Hushpuppy tells the audience that she and her daddy lived in “the bathtub”.
This term stuck out to me because it’s able to seem completely unique, but at the
same time, totally logical. I can imagine Zeitlin in a meeting with Hollywood
executives pitching this idea, saying, “It’s a story about a girl named
Hushpuppy who lives in the bathtub with her existentialist daddy.” Zeitlin’s
logline must have had such a great POW!; it’s the kind of idea that I imagine a
Hollywood executive would remember.
Watching this film, I think I felt
cooler because I witnessed originality at its peak. In a world where girls are
named Hushpuppy and truck beds are made into boats and levees are broke with
alligator-bombs, how could I not feel cooler by being a part of it? Even if
only for ninety-three minutes. This is the kind of movie where I’m at the end
of a lengthy blog post, yet I still have so much more that I could’ve said.
Seeing her world unfold before her eyes, I wish I could see everything from
Hushpuppy’s perspective.
MOVIES WATCHED: 14
SCREENPLAY PAGES WRITTEN: 44
NOVEL PAGES WRITTEN: 70
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