Film Review: Thrown into the crucible

Lars von Trier may be the first name that comes to mind when thinking about Danish cinema in the 1990s and the Dogme movement, but it was his colleague Thomas Vinterberg who was the first Dogme member to receive critical acclaim for Festen (The Celebration) in 1998.

That film was an uncomfortable hard-to-look-away-from story of the disturbing secrets lurking behind the polished façade of a rich family.

Over the last 15 years, Vinterberg's career has been uneven. He spent a lot of time in the shadow of his more intellectual and maverick colleague, producing less thoughtful imitations of ideas pioneered by Von Trier in films such as Dogville and Manderlay.

The Hunt marks a return to form for Vinterberg. Here he deals with some of the themes explored in Festen, but in a noticeably more mature style and subdued voice that makes the film more disturbing and claustrophobic than the earlier work.

Mads Mikkelsen (familiar to many, thanks to his role in the TV series Hannibal) plays Lucas, a lonely kindergarten teacher in a small Danish town who lives with his dog and spends his spare time arguing with his ex-wife about custody of their teenage son.

His best friend Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen) lives next door with his wife and their two children. When Theo's daughter Klara tells her teacher that Lucas has behaved inappropriately, the community turns on Lucas, determined to destroy his life and ruin his reputation.

In a world where new stories of child abuse appear more and more frequently in the news, The Hunt provides an examination not of the victims of abuse, but those who are wrongfully accused. It is reminiscent of Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.

Vinterberg establishes a strong sense of danger for Lucas as he tries to protest his innocence in the face of an increasingly nasty witch-hunt. The futility of his cause is increased by the seemingly idyllic nature of the town with its autumnal hues and soft light.

Mikkelsen gives the performance of his career - imbuing Lucas with a calm dedication to his job that slowly peels away as he is subjected to increasingly severe abuse. He won a well-deserved best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and it is a role that is significantly different from many of the cold, steely-hearted characters he has played previously, holding the viewer's attention and empathy long after the film has ended.

It may not be comfortable to watch but The Hunt is a hard-hitting reminder of the dangers of jumping to conclusions and the consequences of relying too much on your heart when you should be using your head.

• 'The Hunt' opens at cinemas nationwide today

What others say

At the centre of 'The Hunt', rarely out of the frame, is Mads Mikkelsen, one of the finest actors at work today.

Philip French, The Observer

Thomas Vinterberg's best film since 'Festen' is an unsettling psychological drama built around a harrowing performance from Mads Mikkelsen.

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

In contrast to the explosive issue of sexual abuse, one of the film's strengths is its restraint.

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

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