Sink or Swim in the Bathtub

"Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Earlier this month the Academy of Motion Pictures released their nominations for this year's Oscars.  As usual there were pleasant surprises and disappointing snubs.  One of the more interesting films to compete in several of the "major" categories was Beasts of the Southern Wild.  This small, independent picture boasting a puny budget of less than 2 million dollars found itself receiving a limited release in the midst of all the big, loud, highly anticipated summer blockbusters.  But oh how the tables have turned.  Now that all the award shows are in full swing, Beasts of the Southern Wild has propelled itself to top of many lists across the nation.  With the summer long over and some of the major studios still licking their wounds, the risk that Fox Searchlight took on this film is now starting to pay off.  Oscar was quite kind to the indie pic by nominating it for four awards including Best Adapted Screenplay, Actress, Director, and Picture.  Director Benh Zeitlin proves that although its budget may be small Beasts of the Southern Wild has a big heart.

Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) and her father Wink (Dwight Henry) live in a region of southern Louisiana known as "the Bathtub." Although living conditions are far from what you and I would consider acceptable, the community of "the Bathtub" is content with the way things are for them.  A violent storm is approaching and some of the townsfolk are unwilling to hang around and weather the outcome.  For Hushpuppy and Wink though, they aren't budging at all.  Wink is sick and knows that he probably won't be around much longer for his little girl. Throughout the film he teaches her the importance of staying tough through hard times, how to survive, and most all staying true to yourself and your community.

At the age of nine, Wallis is the youngest in Oscar history to receive a nomination and she absolutely deserves it.  Considering this is her first role in a film I'd say she knocks her role out of the bayou.  Zeitlin captures the tender natural innocence Wallis brings to Hushpuppy.  Everything she is doing just feels right.  Her appearance may be of this sweet little girl, but Hushpuppy is tough and can certainly take care of herself.  Given her living conditions, children of her age have to develop the means to survive on their own.  Sorry, there are no social services here folks.

The film is adapted from the play Juicy and Delicious and it retains some of that quality throughout the picture.  When Hushpuppy isn't off taking care of herself or narrating the film to us, she is with her father.  The scenes between Hushpuppy and Wink feel very theatrical.  The father daughter relationship the two have is genuine and believable.  The two butt heads on a number of occasions but their bond grows stronger and stronger.  I'm still in awe over their performances considering the two have no prior acting experience.

Shot handheld on 16mm, Zeitlin's camera gives the audience a great sense of the setting and the characters who dwell within making the film feel like a documentary at times.  It's hard to believe there are places in these United States where living conditions are just that bad.  But here's what's interesting about Beasts of the Southern Wild, despite what we may think or how the media might portray living conditions such as this, some folks are fine with the way things are.  That is their way of life and they are sticking to it.  I always wondered why some people refused to leave their homes in the aftermath of a storm.  This film makes you realize certain people's roots have grown so deep within their community that for them to be uprooted to a shelter would be tragic for them.   

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a little film with a lot to say much like its main character.  Well-acted from a cast of untrained unknowns with unforgettable imagery, this film deserves to be put on the shoulders of award shows.  Zeitlin shows us a world of poverty and despair but we see it through the eyes of a little girl.  Hushpuppy's imagination and wild spirit take us on a journey I would have never thought possible in place such as "the Bathtub."  Propelled with undeniable will and might Zeitlin and his cast handle the material in such a way that is actually quite impressive.  There's nothing amateurish or improper about the filmmaking techniques used to tell this story.  By the end you too will feel that you have walked amongst the beasts of the southern wild.