The Hunter Reviews

The old adage "Don't judge a book by it's cover" finds in the film The Hunter a perfect representative. Indeed, what is one to expect when a film holds the labels 'adventure', 'thriller' and 'drama'; or when the plot summary speaks of a mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness to hunt the last Tasmanian tiger in existence? In truth, I had no expectations going into this viewing; I was driven by curiosity more than anything and a fondness for Willem Dafoe's acting.

For some time now I have intended to watch The Hunter but just never seemed to find the right time. That time was this evening and I'm glad that I did; for what I discovered on this particular cinematic journey was so much more than what this film was touted to be.

I have long known that Willem Dafoe was an actor of the calibre to carry a film solely on his shoulders. My respect for him knows no bounds. For certain, in mere supporting roles over the years, he has improved movies with his very presence and unique character. It's safe to say that were it not for his inclusion in some casts, I might not have enjoyed certain movies at all.

While, as I said, I had no real expectations, in truth I did think that this would be a certain type of film. Yet though it is labeled as an adventure (and it is) and as a thriller (I won't deny that one either), what it truly is - at it's core - is a drama. The Hunter has a feel to it that I've found common among many 'indy' films. It's nothing tangible but a definite...something. Perhaps it's simply that the characters and actions aren't overdone as is so often the case with Hollywood blockbusters.

There is vital realism here and characters that have depth without beating you over the head with it. This is a movie to be experienced...not just watched. If you want something that requires no thought, a purely gratuitous squandering of two hours, then (by all means) make your way down the aisle with a tub of popcorn and catch the next Terminator or Fast and the Furious movie. You won't have to think and, honestly, your emotions won't get much of a workout either but it will be enjoyable.

While Dafoe's character of Martin makes his way to the Tasmanian wilderness to track down, if possible, the last remaining tiger; he finds much more than he bargained for. As his base of operations, he has a room rented from a widow with two young children whose husband (a researcher and zoologist) disappeared in the very wilds in which he must himself go. Tensions between loggers and the 'greenies' run high and Martin finds himself the object of animosity from the beginning from many.

As time passes between his hunts Martin finds himself enticed into the lives of his renters; the children who begin to look upon him as a surrogate father and their mother, who Martin frees from her grief-induced, drug-addled haze. Their eccentricities and persistence endear them to him and he finds reasons to spend more time with them. Ultimately, The Hunter is a journey of self-discovery and while I could say so much more, I have no wish to clutter this review with spoilers. Suffice to say that the payoff is well worth the ride.

This isn't your average movie and that is a very good thing indeed.

I started up this movie without knowing anything about it other than the hook: Martin David (Willem Dafoe) is a mercenary, sent out by an anonymous science lab to hunt down an extinct creature: the Tasmanian tiger. What seemed like it would be an endless hunt for something that doesn't exist turned out to be a search for anything--connection, above all else. Martin is an awkward and enigmatic man who shies away from any sort of close contact. He prefers to keep things simple and quiet, and out in the serenity of nature he is at his most comfortable. Those serene scenes of him traversing the Tasmanian wilderness are a beauty to watch, but they are punctuated by a very disturbing reality. Martin sets traps, steel and improvised, and marks their location. While he loves nature, he does not lose sight of his mission.

"I'd like to go on alone."

His parting words to Jack Mindy (Sam Neill) feel like Martin's mantra. He may not say it to everyone, but you can see it in his face that he'd rather avoid everyone in this town. And by and large, they would rather avoid him--there is a rather heated conflict already in-play between local environmental activists and the loggers they are protesting. Martin plays a delicate balancing act of loyalties for as long as he can until things come to a head, when it is revealed that not everyone is who they seem, or seemed. There is somewhat of a love story intertwined between Martin and Lucy, who's husband has been missing for months without a trace--but I never got the feeling that either of them truly wanted each other. It's Lucy's children, however, that get Martin thinking about his future and about his past. How long will he travel the globe alone, hunting for--well, what exactly is he looking for? When the final scenes came, I was exhausted at the pacing but felt completely emotionally engaged with the characters in the final scene. And so I recommend this film, which is not really a pro-environmentalist tale, but rather a journey to find connection in a cold world.