Rating of
3/4
So many Questions...
Gabe - wrote on 02/22/13
I'm conflicted, on the one hand, this was a very imaginative film, with great performance, especially Quvenzhane Wallis, who was rightfully rewarded with her Oscar nomination. But, on the other, quite frankly, I didn't "get it."
I understand, this is the post-Katrina world, and a levee has been put up to keep New Orleans from flooding again. But, The Bathtub, will surely be destroyed when the right storm comes, which it does.
This is central plot of the film, survival, on all levels, surviving the flood, surviving loss and maybe even surviving guilt. But, it's all told from the viewpoint of a 6 year old. So, for example, when the prehistoric beasts start to roam the Earth again, are they actually there, or are they figments of her imagination? I like to think that they were all in her head, but, there's that scene at the end, when she finally confronts them when her father, on his death bed, glances up and sees her literally stopping them in their tracks. Does her father see them? Does he see them because he's dying and delusional? Or, does he literally see his daughter grow up before his very eyes? I like to think the latter. I believe the beasts were in Hushpuppies head, but they were supposed to represent her fears. What fears? Her fears of the unknown. Her fears of growing up. Her fear of death.
We're still never told what was wrong with her father. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter, he's sick and since we're seeing this through the eyes of a 6 year old, that's all that matters.
Also, one last plot point that I'm not even sure if I can explain: but I'll try. What was up with the flashing light? Or, more importantly, did the girls actually swim out there? We know that the light was real, it was a night club. But, how did the girls get out there? There's no freaking way they swam that far. Seriously, I can't explain this. If someone else can, that would be great. Also, the lady in the club, was that Hushpuppy's mother? Or was she just a motherly figure?
I also think Benh Zeitlin and writer Lucy Alibar were trying to tell us something else. They were trying to tell us that those that we think are without, actually have a lot. And they just might have more.
