Beasts of the Southern Wild

Sometimes a film comes along that just sidelines its audience. Movies with great power and delivery and told with such passion that they cannot be ignored. Our subject today is one of those such films. Co-written and directed by a man, making his directorial debut in cinema and starring amateur actors. A movie told with such passion and vibrancy that has captivated audiences since its release in 2012.

So if you’re like me and you enjoy film and the impact and emotions they convey, then grab a glass of your preferred liquid and join me for the next little while. For me, that’s a glass of almond milk from our friends at Almond Breeze. So sit back, relax, and let’s talk about the love of film. Welcome to Glazed Cinema.

Beasts of the Southern Wild follows a young girl named Hushpuppy, who lives in the bayou with her dad Wink. They live in an area called the Bathtub, an island, cut off from the civilization of New Orleans by levees. Born into poverty they live in a small tight knit community with other families. Prepped to survive in the wilderness by the adults around her, Hushpuppy is armed with courage, strength, and fortitude. With a vivid imagination she maintains her childhood, coupled with an outlook that is beyond her years. As Wink falls ill however, so does the world around them. A storm arrives at their shores, raising water levels that challenge their way of life, sending them on an odyssey. An odyssey in which for Hushpuppy, individual and communal goals intertwine with finding her mother.

The Bathtub is described by the young girl as the most beautiful place on earth. We see her listen and talk to animals, play in her trailer, and run around outside. From the adults however, we see another side. A hard way of life, filled with hard work, long hours to ensure survival, and alcohol fueled get togethers to unwind. The children are taught to survive in their world and are told of the lore of their time. Melting ice caps and rising waters, a danger to their very way of life and the creatures that live within the ice caps themselves. Creatures of the ancient world that devoured their ancestors long ago, the Aurochs. This lore scares the children and brings a sense of duty to look after their environment.

Directed by Benh Zeitlin and released in 2012, Beasts of the Southern Wild is a gem within the unfiltered waters of recent cinema. The film harkens to the ghosts of Louisiana’s past from the turn of the millennium. For me the storm made me think of Katrina while the death of fish and thick mud of the aftermath harkened images of the oil spill off the coast in 2010. I’m sure for Louisiana natives more will be conjured up within its 93 minute duration, but nonetheless this is a love letter to the state and culture of Southern Louisiana. After all, scars mold who we become, but they do not define us.

The movie was filmed on location on Isle de Jean Charles, which is among the land masses of the wetlands along the bottom of the state of Louisiana. There are some great stories around the pre-production efforts and how this movie came to be. Among these stories are how the cast was determined. The casting search that the team undertook valued life experience and natural talent over professional training. They auditioned over four hundred people for the various roles, but it was with this approach that the team discovered the star of their film. Hushpuppy is played by a tremendous Quvenzhané Wallis, who was only 5 years old at the time. She’s a character with a lot of courage, heart, and determination and it all comes out wonderfully through Quvenzhané's performance. Once the lead was found, they needed to find Wink, Puppy's dad and the two had to have chemistry as well.

Interestingly enough, despite conducting auditions, they found the man who would play Wink right under their noses so to speak. Dwight Henry ran a bakery across the street from the film crew's headquarters and collectively they thought he’d be a perfect fit as Wink. As a business owner, he was worried about shutting down in the middle of the day, so they auditioned in the middle of the night so that the bakery could remain open. Along with the lead family unit, the two were joined by other locals from Southern Louisiana to make up the remaining cast members. Together, as a collaborative unit, the director, screenwriter, and actors rewrote the script to make it feel more natural.

Another great tidbit is how the screenplay was written. Beasts of the Southern Wild is based on a stage play written by Lucy Alibar, named "Juicy and Delicious". Alibar and Zeitlin met at the age of thirteen at a screenwriting camp and remained friends ever since. When they had the idea of bringing one of her plays to life on the screen, the two decided to write the script together. Inspired by the culture and daily living of Southern Louisiana, the two lived in the area to understand the culture more. Residing there for nine months, the two jotted down an initial script that kick started the process.

Once funding was found the crew worked for months to bring the Bathtub to life. A group of skilled artisans worked to scavenge materials and construct buildings and props to craft the scenery, housing, and décor. Their hard work certainly paid off as the final product feels like a lived in island habitat.

There are a lot of great moments in this film, but among my favorites are those in which we get a glimpse of Hushpuppy's imagination. I love the moments in the film when we see things from within her mind’s eye. For instance there’s a sequence in the movie when the Puppy's narration is talking about when her dad and mom lived together and how enamored Wink was with her mom. She begins saying that her daddy thought that her momma was so pretty that she never even had to turn on the stove. She would just walk in to the room and all the water would boil. Coupled with the imagery, it's a great moment and there are more of these as well.

Hushpuppy is such a great character. A young girl who has tremendous intuition, heart, and drive within her. She has a kind, empathetic heart, great strength, and a focus to carry her forward through desperate times. I find her character inspiring, growing and evolving in amidst an environment of degradation and decay. Quvenzhané is so great in her role, guided by her own mother, Qulyndreia behind the scenes. Benh would try and convey what he wanted Hushpuppy to do in the scenes of the day and Qulyndreia would translate to her daughter so that it would make sense. Whenever Benh talks about how great Quvenzhané was he never forgets to give credit to her mother, Qulyndreia, which I think is very sweet.

Upon its release, Beasts of the Southern Wild was an enormous success. Financially it did very well, grossing twenty three million dollars off of a one point eight million dollar budget. It also did very well on the award circuit, getting the Camera D'Or at Cannes and a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. It was also nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The success of the film also helped spring a career for its leading actress. Since her debut on film, Quvenzhané has gone on to act in other movies like Fathers and Daughters, 12 Years a Slave, and even starring as titular character of Annie in a 2014 retelling of the classic tale.

I first heard about this film from a friend of mine, named Andy. It had just been released to DVD and recommended that I watch it and had great things to say. After buying the movie I brought it home and watched it the next day. I went in without expectations and was pleasantly surprised by what blossomed out of the darkness. What I got was a fantastic experience. I love this movie and what it is. It boasts ups and diminutive downs, all connecting and leading us through a moment in time of a young girl's life. I find a lot of inspiration in this movie and for me its infectious. There is a lot of positivity to draw from here, despite some of the themes and moments within its half hour time span.

The film has a lot of power and is a great story that is so unique that it absolutely deserved to be among the best films of 2012. Since its release I haven't seen too many other films that are so specific and told so well. It can't be pigeonholed or held to any generic terms within genre classification or description...it is unique, which is quite refreshing in today's cinematic world.

If you’d like to watch Beasts of the Southern Wild for yourself, you can find it on a variety of streaming services. At the time of this recording you can find it on Prime Video. If you are a Prime member you can watch Beasts of the Southern Wild for free with your subscription.

You can also find it on streaming services including YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and Vudu for $3.99 to rent.

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