THE HUNT/ JAGTEN

Denmark, 2012, 109 minutes, Colour.
Mads Mikkelson.
Directed by Thomas Vinterberg.

In the last twenty years, awareness of the realities of sexual abuse of minors, individual, in families, in institutions, in the churches, has increased, more than could ever have been anticipated. The Hunt, an excellent film, can be seen in an important and significant context.

But, the consciousness is quite different in different cultures. English-speaking countries were the first to experience this surfacing of issues of abuse with consequent police investigations and court proceedings. In the 1990s, many commentators from countries in continental Europe were in denial about such events in their cultures. They have had to face the problems since. So, it is interesting to see a film from Denmark. While it is an education situation that is dramatized here, it is a secular case, nothing to do with church or church institutions (although it is a Lutheran ceremony that serves as a catalyst for a confrontation, as will be mentioned later).
It can be noted that The Hunt was awarded the prize of the Ecumenical Jury in Cannes 2012.
The focus is on a kindergarten teacher in a small Danish town. He is shown as a popular man with the men, many of whom are literal hunters of deer since venison is a favoured meat. The teacher himself, Lukas, hunts. We see him playing in a lively way and vigorously with the children at the kindergarten (something that would not be permitted in many countries now). He is a good man, an average man, who is lonely after his separation from his bitter wife who allows him to see his son only every other weekend.
Klara, the daughter of his best friend, Theo, is fond of Lukas’ dog and wants to take him for a walk. When her parents quarrel, he takes her to school. One day she kisses him and he tries to tell her that this is not quite right. At the same time, her brother and his friend show her pictures of an erect penis (which we, the audience, see so that we are experiencing our own reactions as well). In a little girl pique, she indicates to the principal that Lukas had exposed himself to her.
The audience knows that Lukas is innocent, so the film-makers invite us to share the experiences of a man who is not only the victim of a little child’s lie, but incurs the wrath of the town who readily believe that a child does not lie. He is demonized and is ostracized, even in the supermarket where we are horrified at the violence and hate in a bashing from people who assume the worst. This is lynch mob mentality in a contemporary setting.
The audience is made to witness the handling of the situation by the kindergarten principal and an expert she calls in. While they are sympathetic and think they are doing the right thing, their questioning is completely unprofessional, asking leading questions, putting ideas and images (especially in naming aspects of male sexual behaviour) in Klara’s mind. While the little girl does hesitate and even contradict herself, it is clear that she has become confused as well as willful, can’t quite remember what she has said and acquiesces in what could become implanted memories.
The only support Lukas gets is from a friend and his family where the father is a lawyer who helps, especially after Lukas is arrested and interrogated by the police. This interrogation is not part of the screenplay. We do not know how the police handled it. By this time, all the children believe that they have been abused – but their memory describes places that do not exist. The other support for Lukas is from his son who is also ill-treated, becoming angry and angrier.
As mentioned earlier, it is a Christmas Eve ceremony in the local Lutheran church, with prayer and the children singing hymns where Lukas is able to confront Theo about his innocence. The Christmas spirit and his conscience touch Theo.
Then, the film seemed to be moving towards a very Hollywood ending, nice, until a final shot jolts Lukas and the audience as well. The experience and the stigma might never go away.
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen has played many a villain in his local films as well as in international films (like Le Chiffre in Casino Royale). He won the Cannes Best Actor award for this role and, generally quietly, bewildered, then angry at people’s unquestioning hatred, he enables us to share something of what this experience is like, how at times, it seems that he can never escape from it, that his fate is doomed.
Director Thomas Vinterberg is no stranger to these themes. His 1998, Festen has become something of a classic, the audience going into a home to share a feast and celebration only to find the surfacing of the ugliest of secrets, and sexual misconduct, within the family.
The public these days have strong opinions and feelings about sexual abuse, especially towards perpetrators and to authorities who have protected them. Stage government enquiries and the Royal Commission will surface more and more horrendous stories over the coming years. The Hunt is a reminder that, especially with small children, greater care needs to be taken when they tell their stories so that they will be protected but that the truth will come out and anyone wrongly accused will be treated with justice and compassion.
Indictment: The McMartin Trial is an American film of 1995, well worth seeing. The staff of a child care centre were the targets of some false accusations, the children caught up in sharing each other’s alleged memories, with the danger of psychiatrists not simply surfacing repressed memories but suggesting and implanting memories.

1. A serious and impressive film? Issues? 21st century perspective? Sexual abuse around the world? Greater world consciousness?
2. Set in Denmark? Danish society, issues, treatment of the problem? Accusations? Victims? The Christian setting and Christmas Eve ritual?
3. The awards for the film? Acclaim?
4. The title? The group of men, hunters, venison as a preferred food? Lukas and his killing the deer? Getting the license as rite of passage? Markus, the gun, the gift? His father’s pride? Going out to hunt deer? The final shot?
5. The hunt as a metaphor, the people of the village as hunters, the ethos, their prey, killing their prey, devouring it?
6. Hunters, their ethos and turning into a lynch mob?
7. Lukas as central? The performance of Mads Mickelson? His age, the breakdown of his marriage, his love for his son, not seeing him often enough, living alone? The phone calls from his wife, antagonism towards her? The dog reacting at her name? Losing his teaching job? Going to the kindergarten? The opening with the men diving into the cold water, his diving in for the rescue? Acclaim, bonhomie, drinking, talking, jovial? Theo as his best friend? Life and its prospects?
8. Theo and Agnes, close friends, drinking partners, the personal arguments, their children, Lukas walking Klara to school? Her liking the dog and wanting to take it for walks?
9. Klara and the kiss, Lukas’ explanation, Klara at home, the boys and their eye pad, showing her the erect penis? Audience reaction to seeing it? Her age, experience, considered imaginative?
10. Klara with Grethe, talking with her, her dislike of Lukas, the importance of her nose twitch, her petulance, the mention of the willie? Grethe’s reaction, asking Klara further questions, leading questions? Presuming Lukas was guilty? Talking to Lukas, sending him home, the staff meeting and their knowing what was said?
11. The psychologist, the interview, putting Klara at ease, the question about the semen, Grethe vomiting? The presumption that children did not lie?
12. Lukas, the dog for company, reactions, Markus, the phone calls, the teacher and the attraction, drinking together, talking, going home, the relationship? Her being on the kindergarten staff? Grethe’s explanation to the staff? Her defending Lukas? Her asking Lukas questions? His asking for her trust? Her hesitation, his ousting her?
13. The meetings, the gossip? The scene where Grethe tells Agnes, Agnes’ response, anger? Presumption of guilt? Lukas trying to talk to Grethe, chasing her and the confrontation? The men and the moving Lukas along? fears, the language used about the abuse?
14. The lynch mob mentality? The sequences of the market, refusing to serve Lukas, the confrontation, the bashing, his return and the head butt? His return for the meat? The hostility of the manager?
15. Markus and his character, his age, coming to visit his father, not letting his mother know? The bond with his father, affection and admiration? Sharing? His being refused service of the supermarket, his growing anger?
16. Bruun and his friendship, Markus’ godfather, his visits, support, the whole family, his father and his knowledge of the law?
17. The arrest, Markus watching? The film not showing the police interrogation?
18. The children, the spread of the rumours, all believing they were abused? Making up the story about the basement which did not exist? Lukas being freed?
19. Stones thrown at the house? The death of the dog, Lukas burying the dog in the brain? His suffering? A sense of doom?
20. Christmas Eve, his going to the church, the children singing the hymn, the prayers of the minister? His continually turning to look at Theo, confronting him, asking him to look into to his eyes, asking him what he saw, innocence? Theo as a character? The Christmas food, taking it to Lukas, sharing with him, remaining with him? His grief?
21. The year passing? Klara, Lukas carrying her across the floor to avoid the lines, the resolution of the issue? Klara not remembering? With the men, the rite of passage for Markus, the gift of the rifle? Going out to hunt the deer?
22. The resolution, everything seeming to be in place, pleasant? The sudden anonymous shot, Lukas’ reaction, the audience reaction? A sense of uncertainty and the issue not going away?