The Hunt: A Man Against Prejudice
Lucas is a kindergarten teacher, divorced and with infrequent visits from his teenage son. He finds solace in his friendships, often sharing drinks with his buddies. His life takes a dark turn when his best friend’s daughter accuses him of sexual abuse. From that moment, his existence in the small town transforms into a nightmare. Despite the lack of evidence, the dismissed teacher finds himself ostracized, with no one believing in his innocence.
Fun Fact: Thomas Bo Larsen, who plays Lucas’s best friend, is actually a close friend of director Thomas Vinterberg himself. Mads Mikkelsen’s performance in “The Hunt” earned him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Vinterberg’s Renaissance
Thomas Vinterberg, a former associate of Lars von Trier and co-founder of the Dogme 95 movement, rose to fame overnight when he received the Jury Prize at Cannes for his shocking drama “The Celebration.” However, Vinterberg faced a series of crises afterward. His surreal English-language drama “It’s All About Love” flopped at the box office, the Trier-scripted parable “Dear Wendy” went unnoticed, and the Danish comedy “The Return Home” failed to elicit much laughter. Seeking a return to his roots, Vinterberg teamed up with young writer Tobias Lindholm to create psychological dramas about family crises. “Submarino” and “The Hunt” marked a personal renaissance for the director, who finally rediscovered his artistic voice.
Interestingly, Denmark submitted another film starring Mads Mikkelsen, “A Royal Affair,” for the Academy Awards.
A Modern-Day Witch Hunt
“The Hunt” stands as an antithesis to “The Celebration.” In the latter, a son exposed his respected father’s pedophilia during a family celebration. In “The Hunt,” an innocent man, whose innocence is evident to the viewer from beginning to end, battles against societal prejudices and ultimately loses. The film highlights the devastating impact of false accusations, demonstrating that reputation and life can be ruined not only by guilt but also by the mere suspicion of it, especially when the accuser is a child – the last “sacred cow” of liberal European society, which is rapidly transforming into a mob of zealous “witch hunters.”
The role of the outcast, desperately fighting against unjust persecution, is a gift for a talented actor.
Mads Mikkelsen, one of Denmark’s most celebrated film stars and a national sex symbol, elevates Vinterberg’s directing to a new level. The declarative and conventional style of his earlier works gives way to the sobriety and conviction of a mature, realistic artist.