The Hunt (2012)
Men can also be victims.
Presentation:
When it comes to films appealing to the male zeitgest, you have to hunt longer than one should. It should be of note that this film was made before the viral MeToo movement from the Weinstein scandal. This movie depicts the collapse of a man’s life after a seemingly false accusation of rape. What ends up happening is the inevitable ruin of the man’s reputation, which I think provides an even more relevant message than The Scarlet Letter. Although there are sexier versions of this film like Gone Girl, its Hollywood flair doesn’t have the near impact of topic on everyday life. This is a more serious drama that feels like it could happen to any man. Danish director Thomas Vinterberg creates for men what Netflix directors have been doing for inclusive audiences in the past decade.
Conclusion:
I don’t think this film is divisive as it was made well before political events to have an agenda. Looking back on it today, I’m sure there could be some audiences that get offended, claiming this is a small percentage problem or a red herring on a bigger issue. But I feel as though it’s never accusatory in its fair presentation to cause such outrage. Perhaps it’s because I’m a man, I found it balanced. Even though I first watched this on an airplane, I was nearly moved to tears, mostly out of anger. I would normally feel embarrassed about admitting something like that except if you talk about it with other people who have watched this they’ll probably tell you the same. It’s a sad and upsetting injustice that most men won’t feel the right to voice and there should be more brave filmmakers to cover topics even if it’s against the social current. Perhaps a Danish production was the only way they were able to present such a story Hollywood would never produce. If you actually want diversity in filmmaking, you can still support films with alternative viewpoints, even if you don’t agree with them.
Recommendations
Foreign languages always felt alien.