Beasts of the southern wild is a fantastical, emotionally powerful journey and a strong case of filmmaking that values imagination over money. Featuring an awardstouted performance from its 8year old star. The newly released movie beasts of the southern wild, by firsttime director benh zeitlin, has received critical praise and garnered prestigious awards on the film festival circuit, winning prizes. Only gradually did i understand that the bathtub is offshore from new orleans, isolated by levees, existing selfcontained on its own terms. In short, beasts of the southern wild comes to us as one of those movies the industry can be proud of, which the great bullshit detector pauline kael called out in her famous 1969 essay. Beasts of the southern wild music from the motion picture. Jul 20, 2012 meet the aurochs, the fabled beasts from benh zeitlins mystical drama beasts of the southern wild, in this featurette.
Beasts of the southern wild isnt propelled by plot as much as by how zeitlin tells the story of a hardscrabble group of people rarely represented on film. Having reconciled with her father and accepted natures chosen path, she returns to her friends and family, a hardened warrior, and they parade into the southern wild as water laps at their feet. Beasts of the southern wild 2012 directed by benh zeitlin. Camera angles, shots and movements tone we have an opening of an establishing shot. Zeitlin, beasts of the southern wild is a work of magic realism and, to some extent, an exercise in wishful thinking. Beasts of the southern wild is a vividly poetic and maybe even therapeutic response to one of the most painful and mortifying episodes in modern american history, second only to 911.
The problematic political messages of beasts of the. Beasts of the southern wild never fully chooses between those options, but it isnt really in the questionanswering business. Beasts of the southern wild and other stories by doris betts. Trees and bugs may not need mythologies, but the rest of us do, and to advance the project of. Beasts of the southern wild final draft written by lucy. The film has been critically anointed by some while. Books similar to beasts of the southern wild and other stories. Before filming beasts of the southern wild, the acclaimed sundance hit now making its way through theaters nationwide, director benh zeitlin. Beasts of the southern wild has just arrived at your local multiplex. What beasts of the southern wild really says the atlantic. The last recorded living aurochs died in poland in 1627. The film stars viola davis, mckenna grace, jim gaffigan, mike epps, charlie shotwell, and allison janney the film had its world premiere at the sundance film. Sixyearold hushpuppy lives with her toughloving father, wink, in the bathtub, a flooded area on the southern delta.
Nakon sto je premijere imao na raznim medunarodnim filmskim festivalima, u sluzbenu kino distribuciju. Jun 27, 2012 based on a play by lucy alibar who collaborated on the script with mr. Beasts of the southern wild actress quvenzhane wallis who was nominated for an oscar at only 9 years old is now an author, according to page six. But the cumulative effect of the dreamlike narrative and powerfully understated performances is mesmerizing, and quvenzhane wallis in particular is a truly extraordinary find. Beasts of the southern wild is a wonderful attempt by a firsttime director. Beasts of the southern wild is based on a short play, juicy and delicious, by lucy alibar which takes from the literary traditions of americana with a. It was later adapted into the musical violet the title story beasts of the southern wild. Beasts of the southern wild is a quirky, impressionistic fantasy.
Beasts of the southern wild parental guide is this movie. In the opening moments of beasts of the southern wild, i had no idea when or where we were. Beasts of the southern wild was oscar nominated for best picture, director, adapted screenplay and actress, but its wonderful score was scandalously overlooked. Cutting into a closeup of hushpuppys watering her nest, tracking her actions. Buy beasts of the southern wild and other stories american ed by betts, doris isbn. Sep 05, 2012 beasts of the southern wild isnt propelled by plot as much as by how zeitlin tells the story of a hardscrabble group of people rarely represented on film.
Beasts of the southern wild je americka fantasticna drama iz 2012. Beasts of the southern wild final draft written by. Beasts of the southern wild and dirty ecology southern. The racism of beasts of the southern wild the new republic. Beasts of the southern wild times higher education the. Jun 29, 2012 in beasts of the southern wild an ethnically mixed community of raffish survivors cling to a tiny strip of land on the wrong side of the leveeway out in the gulf of mexico, southwest of. The audience is able to see some importance to her character as the camera is solely focused on what she is doing. Confronting the aurochs in beasts of the southern wild. One of the most talked about films of the year, beasts of the southern wild is the highly acclaimed festival favourite of 2012. Its a hard film to describe its part plaintive magical realism and part apocalyptic fable. Their community is threatened both by stormy weather and the attentions of government disaster relief officials. It was adapted by zeitlin and lucy alibar from alibars oneact play juicy and delicious.
Oct 18, 2012 beasts of the southern wild is a vividly poetic and maybe even therapeutic response to one of the most painful and mortifying episodes in modern american history, second only to 911. Parents need to know that beasts of the southern wild is a heartwrenching fable thats so unique that its hard to classify. Hushpuppy narrates the film with simple but poignant philosophical observations that somehow never seem cliched but only true. Beasts of southern wild beast it film clip youtube. Beasts of the southern wild the feminist spectator. Beasts of the southern wild parental guide is this. The ugliest pilgrim takes you into the adventures and into the heart of a disfigured young woman who has run away from her life in search of a better one. Faced with both her hottempered fathers fading health and melting icecaps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, sixyearold hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love. This summers art house darling, released on dvd on december 4, 2012, received four oscar nominations last week best picture, best director, best actress and best adapted screenplay.
Benh zeitlins acclaimed first feature film, beasts of the southern wild, tells the story of hushpuppy, a sixyearold girl who lives in a fantastical place called the bathtub. Hushpuppy believes the universe is held in delicate balance, but the balance has been upset so the ice caps are melting. May 02, 20 beasts of the southern wild six year old, hushpuppy, lives with her father and several other families in the bathtub on the coast near new orleans. Beasts of the southern wild arrives on a tidal wave of gushing critical praise, and the occasional criticism of its fetishization of the poor, but i was left a little nonplussed by the whole affair. The story behind beasts of the southern wild national. The newly released movie beasts of the southern wild, by firsttime director benh zeitlin, has received critical praise and garnered prestigious awards on. Beasts of the southern wild could be where these forces stampede into a fullblown magical realist movement. Beasts of the southern wild is whimsical, but it is also an epic comment on our condition of metamorphosis when humans persist in changing earths geologic direction. Beasts of the southern wild final draft written by lucy alibar and benh zeitlin based on the stage play juicy and delicious by lucy alibar.
Based on a play by lucy alibar who collaborated on the script with mr. The remarkable, lyrical feature debut of benh zeitlin a new york filmmaker with a background in animation who relocated to louisiana in advance of making the filmbeasts moves with a dreamlike pulse, and is never better than when it doesnt feel the need to. Doris betts 19322012, former chancellor of the fellowship of southern writers, wrote nine novels and three collections of short stories, including the gentle insurrection, the sharp teeth of love, souls raised from the dead, which won the southern book award, and beasts of the southern wild, which was a finalist for the national book award. The aurochs, wild ancestor of the domestic cattle of our day, is a fascinating creature. Daddy could have turned into a tree or a bug, there wasnt any way to know. The kid, quvenzhane wallis, is exceptional and so is the rest of the cast. Beasts of the southern wild and other stories book by. In the movie she plays the part of one of louisianas katrinasurviving, throwaway children, but on her own terms she. Beasts was willed into being by a community of filmmakers, artists, and artisans, as revelrous and resilient as the bathtub residents. Oct 10, 2012 one of the most talked about films of the year, beasts of the southern wild is the highly acclaimed festival favourite of 2012. How benh zeitlin made beasts of the southern wild arts. The official site and blog for the 2012, fourtime oscar nominated, film beasts of the southern wild.
Beasts of the southern wild is a 2012 american drama film directed, cowritten, and coscored by benh zeitlin. Beasts of the southern wild and other stories wikipedia. Oct 16, 2012 beasts of the southern wild could be where these forces stampede into a fullblown magical realist movement. Aug 16, 2012 before filming beasts of the southern wild, the acclaimed sundance hit now making its way through theaters nationwide, director benh zeitlin asked lead actress quvenzhane wallis how she might go. Beasts of the southern wild 2012 plot summary imdb. In beasts of the southern wild an ethnically mixed community of raffish survivors cling to a tiny strip of land on the wrong side of the leveeway out in the gulf of mexico, southwest of.
We didnt have time to sit around and cry like pussies, says the heroine of beasts of the southern wild, sixyearold hushpuppy quvenzhane wallis, after a hurricane wipes out the shanty town in which she and wink dwight henry, her father, live. The collection was nominated for a 1974 national book award the story the ugliest pilgrim was adapted into the short film violet, which won best live action short at the 54th academy awards. I adored beasts of the southern wild and have seen it three times. Beasts of the southern wild and dirty ecology southern spaces. Beasts of the southern wild has the contradictory, inevitable, glorious feel of a myth, a folk tale about a place that never was but is everywhere, in a time thats entirely now and could have. Benh zeitlin could have kept the narrative a bit more linear but then, in the end, when the pieces fall together, you have a good film at hand. In the play that the film is based on juicy and delicious by lucy alibar, who cowrote beasts of the southern wild with zeitlin, the teacher refers specifically to lascaux as she teaches a lesson about cave paintings. Beasts of the southern wild and other stories is a 1973 collection of short stories by doris betts. The 14yearold is set to release two childrens books on october 3 through simon and schuster. How benh zeitlin made beasts of the southern wild the oscar nominee for best director transformed filmmaking as he assembled a new myth out of hurricane katrina. The problematic political messages of beasts of the southern.
Jul 22, 2012 beasts of the southern wild is a lowbudget film and shows it on a technical level, with lots of shaky camerawork and images going in and out of focus. Back in print at last, the nine beautifully crafted tales in beasts of the southern wild and other stories display doris betts at the top of her form. Its a drama about an alcoholic father who means well but has few tools to convey his love to his spitfire 6yearold daughter. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. With quvenzhane wallis, dwight henry, levy easterly, lowell landes. Michael phillips of the chicago tribune declared beasts of the southern wild one of the most divisive films of the year back in july. Beasts of the southern wild six year old, hushpuppy, lives with her father and several other families in the bathtub on the coast near new orleans. Meet the aurochs, the fabled beasts from benh zeitlins mystical drama beasts of the southern wild, in this featurette.
210 1221 1454 968 109 857 1532 1371 435 553 1097 658 104 73 282 1215 428 945 1040 101 872 1508 1403 1410 436 355 908 90 1561 1305 149 1061 828 405 706 788 488 1420 1332 765 32 678 920 1064 1404