CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

US, 2016, 118 minutes, Colour.
Viggo Mortensen, George Mac Kay, Frank Langella, Ann Dowd, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn, Erin Moriarty, Missi Pyle.
Directed by Matt Ross.

Beware, the title of this film is quite misleading. It does give the indication that this is a film about a superhero. But, it is definitely not. It is a film about a family, living in the wild, living an ideology that prepares them for some of the trials of life but, could be ultimately damaging.

The setting is impressive, the camera in the opening sequence flying over thick forest, trees upon trees, a beautiful wilderness. Then there is a young man, hidden in the undergrowth, stalking a deer which he then kills, is congratulated by his father for becoming a man, anointed with the blood, consuming part of the entrails, a ritual of rites of passage to adulthood.

And so we are introduced to a family with six children, the father present but the mother hospitalised with a mental condition. This is a family, but audiences will be reminded at various times of life in a cult. The family is separated from any town, lives in a wooden house and tents, with the day started in strong discipline, physical exercises, running through the forest – and sometimes exercises climbing a mountain face and, even with an accident and a fall, the encouragement to will oneself out of the difficulty and use physical and mental ingenuity.

The training is not just physical. The children are encouraged to read extensively. and they absorb what they read, even the youngest of the children who, at a later invitation when visiting cousins in New Mexico, to be able to recite the Bill of Rights. Audiences who admire this alternative life, watch father and children sitting around a campfire, singing, communing, reading, may still wonder whether this is enough, especially for the contemporary world – or are they to be separated from it all together?
Viggo Mortensen, always a powerful screen presence, is commanding as the father, Ben. He is both benign and strict, making demands on his children but always thinking of their betterment. There are three boys and three girls, George MacKay? as the oldest initiated boy, two sisters coming after him, another boy who has the touch of the rebel and then two small children.

A situation arises as to whether they should go to their mother’s funeral – at first deciding not, especially when her father warns them off, disapproving of their way of life, of his daughter becoming part of this life, rebelliously anti-Christian in her stances and embracing Buddhist principles.

The latter part of the film raises questions about the children and their upbringing, the strengths, especially when they visit their mother’s sister, her husband and children, the children not understanding the way of life of their cousins at all, and the aunt being very disapproving of Ben’s frank straightforwardness in talking about his wife’s illness and death, of physical and sexual matters, preferring truth above all.

The crisis comes at the funeral, a Catholic funeral, the eulogising priest not having met the mother and Ben taking this as a cue to intervene in the ceremony, declaring that his wife wanted to be cremated.

Jack, Frank Langella, heartily disapproves of Ben and offers to look after the children. An accident brings the issues to a head, and Ben’s realising that what he has done is to prepare his children for any physical situation, has filled their heads with knowledge but has not trained them emotionally to deal with the world and with other people. This has been illustrated on the bus trip to New Mexico for the funeral where the oldest boy encounters an attractive teenage girl and analyses the situation, not realising what was happening to him emotionally.

Which means that the film raises a lot of issues about quality of life, of a wilderness life, but not the modern convenience life, of intellectual information, of realistic emotions, of the nature of parenting, of forming children in the parents’ likenes, of the need for children’s autonomy and, ultimately, making their own decisions.

1. The title, expectations, realism rather than fantasy?

2. The locations in Washington State, the vast opening with the forests, the waterfalls, the family hunting, the house and tent, life in the wild? Idealistic?

3. The contrast with the towns, modern situations, phones? The travel on the bus, on the roads? Moving from north to south, to New Mexico, homes, church, the modern world? The final home – in between the wild and the mansion?

4. The tone, the oldest son and his hunting, stalking the deer, killing the deer, an initiation, becoming an adult, the blessing of his father, consuming the entrails? Skinning the deer?

5. The father, his age, experience, love for his wife, the plan to live in the wild together? Her Buddhist beliefs? The staunch anti-Christian stances? Her illness, mental condition, moods, the concern, her slitting her wrists?

6. The regime at the house, early rising, exercises, the training, runs, climbing the mountain face, coping with accidents and continuing? The meals? The evening around the fire, the camp situation, playing musical instruments, the intense meeting of the drum,, reading, the amount of learning from each of the children, information and ability to recite their knowledge?

7. The oldest son, his age, leadership? Yet his application for the University, his father disappointed, the revelation that his mother helped him? The two older girls, together, martial arts, singing? The young son and his continued questioning, the touch of the rebel? Two youngest children, eccentric costumes, knowledgeable, appearing naked? Everyone and the love for their mother?

8. The news of her death, the father going to the town, the phone call? The effect on all of them, the phone call to Harper, to Jack and his wife, the reactions? Jack and his hostility?

9. Deciding not to go to the funeral, the reasons to go, the decision, in the bus, the interiors, the cabins, the bookshelves? All together in the spirit of the bus?

10. Arriving at Harper’s house, her relationship with her sister, her husband and the boys? Mod cons? The boys, such a contrast with the wild children? Their ignorance, the little girl and her knowledge of the Bill of Rights? The father, Harper and her reaction, his talking about his wife’s illness, the slitting of the wrists, Harper not wanting such talk? His Frank talk about sexuality? The reactions, his apology?

11. During the trip, the camping, the oldest son, the encounter with the young girl, her mother, attractive, his awkwardness, thinking that he was in love, the kiss, the parents’ reactions?

12. The funeral, the father in red, the children arriving, the priest of the church and his eulogy, but not knowing the dead woman, the father taking this as a cue to speak, his frankness about his wife’s attitude, the Catholic setting, her Buddhism, anti-Christian stances, fictions? The reaction of Jack, the ushers, the father being ousted? Wanting a cremation? The waiting?

13. Jack, his wealth, status, religion? Severity with his son-in-law? Harper and her husband, their reaction after the funeral?

14. In the house, the plan, going to the cemetery, digging up the corpse, taking it, the cremation, and the mother’s wish to be flushed down the toilet?

15. The rebel son, going into the house, with his grandparents, games and his grandfather teaching him how to hunt? Jack, his threats, the effect? The attempt to rescue the boy, the girl, on the roof, her falling, in hospital? A challenge to the family to come to some kind of compromise?

16. The reactions, the father’s reaction to his son going to the University? The fact that his wife supported this?

17. The reassessment, the Father, the children and their head knowledge, the need for contact with the world, realism? Jack and his wife offering to care for the children?

18. On their own, the compromise, the reality of knowledge, emotions, the world, the ideal and the real? The older son and his decision to go to Namibia for experience?

19. The effect of the experiment? Akin to something of a cult? The family at the end, their home, the meals, children going to school – in some type of normality?