Beasts of the Southern Wild- The Essence

The film, Beasts of the Southern Wild was directed Benh Zeitlin and released in 2012. It stars Quvenzhané Wallis as the lead, Hushpuppy. At the age of nine, Wallis was the youngest actress in history to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. In total this film was nominated for four Academy Awards at the 85th Academy Awards in the categories Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress.

This film is about a young girl and her father living in a small community called “The Bathtub” in Louisiana. Throughout the film many ideals come into play such as gender roles. Hushpuppy and her father Wink live as some would say unconventionally. Hushpuppy drinks and lives in a separate house than her father. Also unconventional, her father, Wink encourages the strength of a man from his young daughter.  

Hushpuppy’s strength continues to be an occurring theme throughout the film. Whether she’s strong enough to face the ‘Beasts’, whether she’s strong enough to be on her own, whether she’s strong enough to let her father go when he’s the only parent she has left.

This film, contained many symbols about the beasts, about Hushpuppy, about her father, and about their community.

While watching this film, an emotional feeling would occasionally wash over me due to the emotional intensity.

This film portrayed very real life issues, referencing the storm in Louisiana and the aftermath of the damage. While portraying a very real circumstance they also incorporated moments in the film that were dream-like and as an audience member made you question what exactly was going on. It was to be concluded that it was Hushpuppy’s imagination or something along those lines. But the scenes were still powerful as they were crucial to the transition in the film where Hushpuppy finally lets her father go when she realizes he’s dying and there is nothing that can be done.

It creates a shift in her character. Her strength is at the forefront (an occurring theme throughout the film) but it’s also showcased that she’s a survivor and she’ll still survive without him, as she did her mom.

The main ideas of the film, focus on the essence of surviving, strength, as well as family and community.

Hushpuppy, in a way, has an essence of them all.