Film Review:Beasts of the Southern Wild
The present paper will review a film by the name of “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” It will specifically describe the significance of one of the nine essential scenes, which is the title sequence, and investigate whether it fulfills its role.
The movie “Beasts of the Southern Wild” is directed by Ben Zeitlin and premiered in June 2012. Credits of the screenplay go to the director and Lucy Alibar. It encompasses casts who are stars and include Quvenzhané Wallis (Hushpuppy) and Dwight Henry (Wink). Additionally, it falls under the drama, fantasy, and adventure genres. Nine awards were bestowed to the film, with five of them going to Benh Zeitlin and two to Quvenzhané Wallis.
The story revolves around Hushpuppy, a courageous six-year-old girl, and Wink, Hushpuppy’s father. The two live in Bathtub, an island separated from the rest of the world by a levee, and through drastic climate changes, horrors fill the entire town. Severe flooding and fierce ancient creatures flare-up leading to calamities in the township.
Title Sequence
The title sequence, commonly known as the intro, is cut short during the 7th minute when the movie title is introduced. However, during that short span, the title sequence is able to play its role and give importance to the narrative effectively. Foremost, it brings about the feeling of curiosity and immerses the viewers into the movie realm. On top of this, it perfectly conveys the setting, exposes the themes, defines the main characters, and provides a summary of what will happen.
The setting of the movie is portrayed from the outset. The two main characters, Hushpuppy and Wink, reside in a rural backwoods of Louisiana that is referred to as “the Bathtub.” The area is lowland and is divided from the rest of the country by a massive levee. Poor living conditions of the people characterize the Bathtub, as it is engulfed with poverty- most of the people leave in shacks that are filled with junk and memorabilia. For instance, the abode of Hushpuppy is an anarchic habitation of driftwoods, vehicle scraps, and rundown shacks.
In the introduction, the traits of Hushpuppy and Wink are defined. The young girl is loving and courageous. Her courageous nature is evident as she sits on top and at the edge of the raft- while they are fishing, she firmly holds crabs during the ceremony and utters that they cannot drown- even though the people from the other side of the levee believe so. Her love extends to the animals, and she viewed them as her family. She listens to the heartbeat of the lying pig and baby bird and takes care of several others. Wink trait is caring, as he takes care of Hushpuppy, and calls her, through a bell, during meals.
The title sequence vividly exhibits the theme of unity. The people of Bathtub celebrate a holiday together and share common perceptions- they love their town and will not run away even when push comes to shove. They also bring their children to the gathering and have a buffet-like feast. From the first pictures- strong winds, the lecture of the teacher during the classroom, and the thin layer of ice holding the aurochs, the audience were able to identify a theme of conflict that will occur.
The title sequence is essential in the delivery of the narrative in numerous ways. It explains why the Bathtub is mostly affected by floods- it is a lower land, and the levees cause accumulation of water that melts from the ice caps. Moreover, it shows how Hushpuppy is able to befriend the aurochs, which is through her courage and understanding of animals.