by Allan Day
As adults, it is perhaps impossible to truly remember the all-encompassing feeling of complete childhood innocence. It is harder for grown-ups to feel a sense of wonder at the little things, and when things go wrong, we know that we are largely on our own to solve our problems; no one is going to swoop in and take over for us. Most children, when faced with trials, have an inerrant faith in their parents that everything is going to be alright. At the same time, it can sometimes feel like the world is falling apart.
Of course, many of us grew up in the sterile comfort and stability of the suburbs. Beasts of the Southern Wild tells the story of a five-year-old girl living quite a different lifestyle – she lives in a bayou community called the Bathtub, separated from the mainland by a levee. The Bathtub is a magical place to young Hushpuppy, where everyone is happy, there is plenty of crab and crawfish and delicious food, and there are “more holidays than the whole rest of the world.”
Hushpuppy is raised by her father, Wink, who keeps her in a separate house. It is immediately apparent that Wink cares for her mostly in a begrudging fashion, as her mother is mysteriously not present, and he is on his own in the task; at the same time there is a definite love and care for his daughter. He wants her to be strong. It is confusing for her, though, when one moment he is smiling and helping her, and the next he is berating her about complaining about the amount of responsibility he has to undertake to keep her safe.
On top of everything, Wink is sick. The exact nature of the disease is not specified, but his heart is failing, and Hushpuppy finds herself even more on her own than usual; suddenly she can't count on her dad even the little bit she could before. “The whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right,” she says in voice-over. “If one piece busts, even the smallest piece... the entire universe will get busted.”
And bust it does. As Hushpuppy's sense of security breaks down, Arctic glaciers collapse and melt; the Bathtub floods, the waters contained by the levee; the outside world intrudes with the helpful intention of evacuating, but these are alien people from a strange world to Hushpuppy; and a herd of aurochs, giant prehistoric warthog-like creatures, have been unleashed from their icy prison and are making their way towards the Bathtub.
It is a film rife with metaphor, but it can be subtle – or, rather, perhaps so big that it can be missed. Many people have expressed confusion about the fantastical element of the aurochs, these gigantic creatures in an otherwise-realistic world. How realistic is it, however? We are seeing life through the innocent eyes of a small child. The opening scene features celebrations from the aforementioned holidays; to Hushpuppy, everyone is happy and cavorting, but looking past that, we see that this five-year-old is being allowed to play with fireworks under the supervision of adults who are out of their minds on drink – including her father. It is an interesting dichotomy; the mood is happy and hopeful, but it gives a first clue to the fact that this little girl is, for all intents and purposes, having to raise herself.
Quvenzhané Wallis is perfect as Hushpuppy. Although she was only five years old when she auditioned, and the filmmakers had requested girls between the ages of six and nine, she had a couple of apparently unique skills: a fantastic scream and the ability to burp on command. She was cast, and is now, at age nine, the youngest person ever to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress – an accolade which would be well-deserved.
Dwight Henry, who plays Wink, was likewise a non-actor, and actually had no intentions towards an acting career. He owned a deli across the street from the offices of the filmmakers, and he became friendly with them as they frequented his establishment. They put up flyers for auditions, and he snagged the part. The role felt familiar to him; Henry was in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, and he looked right at home in the rushing flood waters. As well, his chemistry with Wallis felt incredibly realistic; this is the type of father-child dynamic that usually comes through only when the duo actually share that relation in real life.
The fact that this film received a Best Picture Oscar nomination is a triumph. While it is, in my personal opinion, one of the best films to come out of 2012 – if not the best – the Academy often ignore independent features such as this one in favor of big blockbusters with wide appeal, formulaic films, or vehicles for the popular actors of the day. Criticism of the Oscars is nothing new, and everyone realizes selections are based just as much on politics as on merit, if not more so, and so it is exciting to see truly visionary works of art receive the recognition they deserve. Can we expect a win? It's doubtful – Lincoln will very likely take the prize, although Life of Pi is a possible upset – but it can perhaps set a precedent, leading the way for more films of its type and honesty to be open to the wider audience afforded by such recognition. As Hushpuppy says, “I'm just a little piece in a big, big universe” - and yet she is immensely important. Thus is Beasts of the Southern Wild.
