CINEMA: Willem Dafoe in The Hunter
Willem Dafoe in The Hunter
Published: 5 July, 2012
by DAN CARRIER
The Hunter
Directed by Daniel Nettheim
Certificate 15
Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Stars
Crypto-zoology is one of those subjects that attracts fanatics: people who subscribe to the theories of the philosopher Charles Fort, who, to paraphrase, was into investigating the seriously weird.
While in previous decades a Fortean, as his followers became known, would have enjoyed ruminating on the hunt for mythical creatures, today’s disciples are often infatuated by the idea of finding a dodo that survived, or another Lonesome George – essentially, coming across in this over-developed world a sign that the planet still has a few tricks up its sleeve, yet to reach the clinical world of science.
The Tasmanian tiger is one such beast. Officially declared extinct in 1936, there have still been sightings up to the present day – and it is the last remaining tiger that gives this interesting film a lodestone for a plot.
David Martin (Willem Dafoe) is a mercenary who is hired by a bio-medical company to head to the far reaches of the southern hemisphere and track down a jackal-like creature with a stripey back that has been hunted to extinction.
We learn that the bio-med people want to find this beast and take some samples from its carcass.
It’s the last of its kind, but this isn’t a save-the-species mission – instead it has genetic engineering as its core motivation.
The plot is cranked up by his arrival to stay in a wooden lodge owned by a grief-stricken hippy and her two children, Sass and Bike.
We learn that the previous man about the house went up into the woods around a year ago and hasn’t been seen since.
We also learn that there is some trouble and strife taking place in the nearest town.
Its economy is based on logging but there is a group of eco-activists who are campaigning to stop the destruction of the virgin woods.
We watch as Martin sets traps in the hills, and spends days at a time crouching in damp undergrowth – waiting for said tiger to show its hairy face – while being accused by townsfolk of having a different agenda, namely to help the eco-warriors.
The call of the wild is strong throughout: with unspoilt vistas providing a backdrop – and then roaring log fires for our hero to dry out in front of.
Dafoe is always watchable and this grizzled role seems perfect for the increasingly deep lines on his face.
There are some gaps in the plot, but these are minor enough to be easily forgettable.
Above all, this adaptation of the hit book by Julia Leigh is an original thriller with a lot to enjoy about it.
The film can be slow at times and has a story that could do with some more bubble in the telling.
But I found the overall experience incredibly satisfying.