Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Thomas Vinterberg, Madman Entertainment.
The story is set in a small Danish village around Christmas, and follows a man who becomes the target of mass hysteria after being wrongly accused of sexually abusing a child in his kindergarten class.
Often typecast as a villain, Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal, Casino Royale, A Royal Affair) gets an opportunity to shine and showcase his acting versatility. He gives a gut-wrenching performance as Lucas, a kindergarten teacher, who is falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour by a young girl in his class.
He gives a portrayal, with fine distinction of an essentially respectable man struggling with a world that has decided to treat him unfairly. Lucas lives a life in a small town that’s not perfect, but it is satisfaction, of sorts. After the local school closes, he has been left jobless. Working in daycare, he looks after children in the daytime and drinks with their parents at night. He lives alone in the house he once shared with his ex-wife and son. He is a caring man, but friends worry that he is lonely.
Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), the five-year-old daughter of one of his oldest friends, makes a simple statement that’s misconstrued. The situation changes pretty quickly. Damage control is quickly planned, with a child psychologist being brought in.
The psychological-social drama that follows unleashes a maze of misinterpretation and mistrust in a small, tight-knit, conservative Danish community that also tests long-held friendships.
The Hunt, in Danish with English subtitles, also boasts remarkable acting from newcomer Wedderkopp and Thomas Bo Larsen as the friend whose rejection hurts Lucas the most.
Vinterberg, acclaimed director of The Celebration (Festen), does a marvellous job of tracking the rumour – with insidious sensibleness – as it permeates through the district.
While the gossip spreads like wildfire, the realisation of how it affects the populace moves in slow motion.
