Watching a film about a kindergarden teacher who is falsely accused of child abuse may not be seen as the most enjoyable way to spend your time, but this film by Thomas Vinterberg is an absolutely stunning piece of cinema. I was emotionally involved all the way through the film.

Working from a brilliant script – which he co-wrote- Thomas Vinterberg has created a riveting film. They say a lie can get all the way around the world by the time the truth has put its shoes on, and this film proves the point. It is a film of consequence and lies. Mads Mikkelsen – the Bond villain in Casino Royale- shows his full range as an actor, in a performance that deserves an Oscar nomination. In fact, the entire film has “Oscar’ written all over it. This film might signify the start of a wave of Danish films.

Mikkelsen plays Lucas, a kindergarden teacher who is falsely accused of child abuse after rejecting a little girl’s advances. Mass hysteria ensues even though there is no evidence. Lucas losses everything, but will the truth will out?

This film is called The Hunt for two reasons: one, it has hunting in it. The hunting and gun use is shown responsibly (or so my companion, who knows about guns, told me) and two, the witchhunt that ruins an innocent man’s life.

Beautifully shot with a film that has laughs in it despite the subject matter, The Hunt is one of the best foreign film I have ever seen.

Director:

Thomas Vinterberg
Writers:
Thomas Vinterberg, Tobias Lindholm

Stars:
Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen and Annika Wedderkopp