Movie Review

The Hunter

Based on the novel by Julia Leigh, The Hunter follows the story of mysterious American, Martin David (Willem Dafoe). Hired by pharmaceutical company Red Leaf Corporation to retrieve rare biological samples, the highly trained hunter sets off to Tasmania on his mission. The only problem is, the sample he needs comes from the Tasmanian tiger, a species believed to have gone into extinction in 1936.

Renting a room in a remote cabin, Martin lives with a hippie family at the foot of the Tasmanian wilderness. In an unconventional introduction Martin finds the drugged out Lucy (Frances O’Connor) devastated after the disappearance of her husband, but is welcomed by Lucy’s two adorable children Sass and Bike (Morgana Davies & Finn Woodlock).

After a quick introduction to the area by the local guide Jack Mindy (Sam Neill), Martin soon learns that even under the guise of being there for university research, his presence upsets the hostile logging community who see him as one of the environmentalists they are at odds with.

Martin must find a way to keep his quest a secret and prevent the loggers from getting in his way, all as he endeavours to find the elusive tiger.

Director Daniel Nettheim, who had spent time in Tasmania as a child, says the book is what first compelled him to make the film.

“When I read the book for the first time, when it came out ten years ago, I could see the landscape very clearly. It evoked a lot of pictures in my mind, it made me really want to go back and I was really struck by the beautiful central narrative,” he said.

“Vincent Sheen, the producer and I, both talked about it and we both thought there was a lot of cinematic potential there, so we approached Julia about the book and ten years later the film is now finished.”

Even though the audience is given little background about Martin before his Tasmanian mission, Dafoe’s character gradually opens up to the family about the secret and controversial task he has been ordered to undertake.

For Nettheim, this fascinating character arch is a key part of the narrative.

“The themes of the film are universal,” Nettheim said.

“The theme of human connection and the uneasy relationship between mankind and the natural environment was the strongest thing for me. It’s an uneasy relationship that has always existed and still exists.”

Recently shown in Tasmania, the 'logger vs greeny' sub-plot was amazingly well received in Hobart.

“They were really pleased that we hadn’t politicised the backdrop,

“We weren’t as film makers coming down on any side of that debate. It was a backdrop that for me, enriched the themes of the film and was also a realistic depiction of what’s going on in Tasmania,” Nettheim said.

Bouncing off this popularity domestically and after being screened at the Toronto Film Festival, The Hunter has been successfully sold to distributors all over the world. From the US, to Germany, to Japan, Romania and India, about a dozen different countries from all corners of the globe will be showing the film this year.

Nettheim puts that success down to the natural intrigue some have, surrounding the unknown.

“There are parallel myths across the world. Scotland’s got the loch ness monster and there’s the yeti. I think people are drawn to these stories about a mysterious beast lurking in the wilderness,” he said.

The relationship of the hunter in the foreign land is also something Nettheim believes viewers can relate to.

“It was really helpful to have the main character as an outsider who comes from a long way away so the audience gets to experience this world as a conduit. In a way I think we’re all outsiders.”

Though there are some illogical moments, several plot holes and unanswered questions in the film, Willem Dafoe’s performance rescues it all. Every time he mounts another expedition into the wild, the audience is mesmerised and drawn into his quest for the extinct creature. Unsurprisingly Dafoe is a standout. A long stare into the distance by any other actor looks cheesy. But when Dafoe does it, you really want to know what he’s looking at. You see the dirt engrained between the lines on his face, the drops of sweat on his temple and the deep thought that beckons you to find out what he’s thinking.

“Willem had been on our hit list from a very early stage,” Nettheim said of the process to get Dafoe on board.

“We’d been working on the script for a good eight years before we felt confident enough to go out for actors of that calibre. But we knew because the character was a foreigner that we could aim high, we could go anywhere in the world!” Nettheim explained.

“Our main criteria was he couldn’t be a recognisable Australian actor,

“It was important that the character was readily identifiable as an outsider.”

Aesthetically pleasing, the untamed nature of the Tasmanian mountains, plains and forests are all shown beautifully on the big screen. That panoramic scenery may hold within it a harsh and rugged terrain, but Nettheim and his crew were not daunted by the elements.

“I loved being down there. I’d look out the window and if it was rainy, cloudy, misty, or snowing, I’d go – great!” Nettheim boasted.

“You can get all four seasons in one hour!” he said.

“The main trick there was to be prepared for the changing weather patterns and not to try and fight it.”

Ten years in the making, researching the Tasmanian tiger and living among locals who had claimed to see the beast, Nettheim conceded that the fabled animal could well exist.

“When you look at the map of Tasmania, 37% of the island is locked up in world heritage area and national parks. There are no roads in there, the bush is impenetrable and there are places people have never been,

“If the tiger was still out there and was smart enough to hide from humans, there’d be plenty of places for it to hide,” he said.

“I would just really love for one of those eye-witnesses to get a photo!”

The Hunter is a compelling film that draws you in like a good film should. Dafoe is the highlight, and despite its few narrative flaws, with a brilliant Australian cast there’s plenty to be proud with this film. So moving is this story, The Hunter will sit with you days after viewing it. And as you get swept up in Martin’s search for the tiger, the film is as enjoyable as it is intense.

But that’s nothing a stiff drink can’t solve.

This, is an Australian film worth seeing.

4/5

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