Beasts Of The Southern Wild – Deep Dive

Context:

In the Summer of 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated large parts of the American ‘Deep South’ and in particular the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. Whilst America’s geography lends itself to certain ‘hurricane seasons’, Katrina was a beast like no other. In truth, the effects of the tropical storm are still having an impact on many American citizens even today.

Hurricane Katrina seemed to ravage New Orleans with a vengeance. Some reports suggest that up to 80% of the city was submerged under polluted water. Therefore, in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, many people sought answers as to how a busting metropolis could have succumbed to this predictable and preventable storm.

Consequently, these questions were raised to those in positions of power. The primary issue that arose was the lack of adequate flood defence systems. Like most things in the world, money comes into play in determining why New Orleans was not able to defend itself.

When thinking about preventing flooding there are two main methods that are employed: soft engineering techniques and hard engineering techniques. Soft engineering involves using natural architecture to manage and lessen the impact of a flood. Inherently, this is much less effective than hard engineering techniques; which use man-made artificial structures to prevent flooding altogether. Interestingly, New Orleans had a mixture of the techniques but the primary flood defence was levees.

A levee is a raised embankment on either side of a river, thereby increasing the carrying capacity of the river and increasing the maximum volume of water that can be held. This is very similar to how a flood wall works and the same effect can also be achieved by manually digging into the river bed and deepening it that way. Nevertheless, for the most part, these methods are cheap and effective soft engineering strategies that defend against low energy storms, which of course Katrina was not.

The intriguing aspect about New Orleans’ levees is that they fall into the categories of both soft and hard engineering. Whilst levees are naturally occurring, many can be expanded using artificial techniques. Unfortunately, many of the levees artificially expanded or even created in New Orleans were done so in the 16th Century and not updated since then. This was due to a lack of Government spending on flood defence.

It has since been put forward that up to two thirds of the flooding in New Orleans was a direct result of levees being overflown or of levees completely buckling under the velocity of the water. As such, a public enquiry was conducted that concluded that New Orleans’ flood defences were complete inadequate and that with better defences, countless lives could have been saved.

Instead, upwards of 1500 people died due to hurricane Katrina, with over 700 being citizens of New Orleans. The trauma of seeing bodies strewn across streets had a tremendous impact on the people of New Orleans and informed their outcry for help. It can therefore be argued that Beasts Of The Southern Wild draws on this idea of a natural disaster to evoke empathy towards the protagonists. Released only 7 years after Katrina, many Americans would remember the horrifying disaster and feel sympathetic towards characters in a (somewhat) relatable situation.

Another key aspect of hurricane Katrina is how it had the largest impact of the most vulnerable members of society. In fact, the disaster had almost an unjustifiably greater impact on those: poorer, sicker and of ethnic minorities. This lead to an uproar at how the Government but specifically, acting President George Bush, appeared to show a lack of compassion and support, potentially due to the groups of people that were affected.

This lends itself to a larger point about how America has been battling a racial endemic since what seems to like the beginning of time. By this I am referring to the disproportionate number of African Americans in prison compared to other ethnic groups. I am also referring to the growing number of far-right groups and Q-anon members. Whilst these events seem to have arisen in popular media in the last few years, it would be incorrect to suggest that racism has only been an issue since then.

In many ways hurricane Katrina was a catalyst for change in people’s attitudes. There began to be an increase in speaking out against racial injustice; which we now label under the umbrella term of ‘Black Lives Matter’. Hurricane Katrina seems to go hand in hand with the changing face of America, as only 3 years later in 2008, Barack Obama was elected the first African American president of the USA. This marked a monumental shift towards racial equality; however, it is clear that more needs to be done.

Relating this back to Beasts Of The Southern Wild, it is apparent that Zeitlin chooses to include apparent suffering of African Americans within a natural disaster-like event, for particular effect. This could be for one of two main reasons:

1. By showing the impoverished conditions that Hushpuppy resides in, Zeitlin could be suggesting that the relief package given after Katrina, was inadequate. That there is still immense poverty in cities. If anything, Zeitlin is implying that the divide between poor and rich has never been larger (the mystical themes and beasts amplify the surreal poverty). This could be a hint towards perceived negligence by authorities to ensure adequate housing.
   
2. By showing Hushpuppy’s resilience in the face of hardship, we grow aware of the immense bravery that impoverished children must have. Zeitlin suggests that these children are some of the most resilient and that we, in a position of comparatively extreme privilege, should be envious and admire these qualities.
   

Something quite unique to America, is the privatised healthcare system. Whilst the UK has a free at point of access NHS, the USA requires citizens to purchase insurance, if they want to have access to healthcare. Zeitlin explores the negative consequences of a privatised healthcare system through Wink’s non-descript illness and the inevitability of his death.

From the offset of the film, it appears as though there is a feeling of looming dread and that Hushpuppy is yet to face her greatest obstacle. As the narrative progresses, it is shown that Wink doesn’t want to receive healthcare. This is a decision that many Americans have to make, either access healthcare and become less sick or refuse healthcare, potentially die but not plunge your family into debt. This is not a decision people should have to make in the 21st Century.

Zeitlin expresses his dislike of this system through the interplay of Wink and Hushpuppy. Since Hushpuppy is the one tasked with lighting Wink’s deceased body on fire and setting him ‘free’, Zeitlin suggests that this lack of adequate healthcare extinguishes youth. That the blaze of youthful curiosity and playfulness has left Hushpuppy, for good. This places immense emotion on the audience, to view this healthcare system as abhorrent because a young girl has just lost her father in a potentially avoidable predicament.

One of the more unique factors about independent film concerns institutional factors, most specifically how the film is distributed. More often than not, the content and themes of an independent (indie) film contributes to how economically successful it is upon release.

As a precursor to the distribution of indie films, it is important to think about how and why they display creative freedom. Critically, an independent film is not tied to a studio or major production company. Therefore, there are no targets to hit or executives to appease. As such, the director can explore unusual or even controversial themes on a wider level because they don’t have to produce an economically successful film. This links in with the idea that indie films and directors value creativity and emotion over spectacle and popularity.

Zeitlin doesn’t buck this trend. He portrays emotive themes (likely to distress) through a character exploration, instead of focusing on a high-octane narrative. Zeitlin’s decision to prioritise beauty over money is evident in the fact that Beast Of The Southern Wild was initially only released in 4 cinemas across the USA. This highlights the fact that Zeitlin values expression of art over monetary gain.

Critical to the exposure of indie films is the role that film festivals play. Festivals such as Sundance have an immense impact in broadening the audience of a film. This is achieved through screening the movie to and eclectic mixture of: critics, journalists and ordinary audience members. From this point the growth in popularity of the film can be exponential. Travelling by word of mouth and increasingly through digital means (blogs, social media etc…), a film may become so highly praised that it becomes ‘must see’. In fact, Beasts Of The Southern Wild was so well received at the Sundance Festival that at one point it was being screened in 318 cinemas.

Of equally key importance is the impact of awards shows, predominantly but not limited to, the Oscars. Beasts Of The Southern Wild was nominated for best picture and best director at the 2013 Oscars. This clearly had a tremendous impact on the popularity of the film, with some reports suggesting a rise of 2000% in takings from subsequent cinema screenings.

Potentially the biggest roadblock in the economic success of an indie film, is a lack of funds to properly and effectively distribute the film and get the film shown in cinemas. Fortunately, a trend has emerged in recent years, whereby indie films parted with a major studio to get their film shown in cinemas. Beasts Of The Southern Wild was distributed by the media conglomerate Fox but, more specifically, by the independent wing of Fox – Fox Searchlight Pictures. This enabled the film to be shown on the ‘big screen’ and this allowed for critics to review the film, increasing its exposure even more so.

Aesthetics:

Perhaps more so than any other film I have watched, Beasts Of The Southern Wild seems to contain an entirely unique and independent aesthetic, as a pose to paying homage to other films through borrowed features. As a consequence of this, the film seems different and perhaps necessary.

The defining aesthetic of this film is the overall tone of surrealism and mystique, contrasted with a very real theme of suffering. That is to say, Zeitlin employs creates the films aesthetic around the diametric opposition between realism and fantasy. This aesthetic clashing provides a sense of unease and tension that is only resolved at the ending, when Wink dies. With the idea being that death is a unifying force that can link all citizens emotionally and keep us grounded in realism.

The ending best exemplifies the film’s aesthetic, with a focus on Hushpuppy to show her change in the film and to an extent, her ‘coming of age’. This focus is achieved primarily through close-up shots with a shallow depth of field, pinning the audience’s attention on Hushpuppy, only. She is humanised with these emotive shots and it’s important to see her resilience in the face of her father’s death, giving a message of optimism for the impoverished citizens. It also directly links Hushpuppy with realism because the audience are encouraged to relate to her.

Since much of the film is concerned with Hushpuppy’s development, Zeitlin allows the fantastical aesthetic of the film to develop through Wink and the consequences of his actions, subliminally impacting the audience. For example, much of the Wink is shot with hand-held cameras, this creates an overwhelming sense of fantasy and surrealism, that is juxtaposed with the realistic portrayal of Hushpuppy and suffering.

This is shown best through the scene in which Wink and co. try to destroy the flood defence that is causing their homes to be flooded. We see extremely shaky camera footage and a series a fast cuts, that completely disorientate the viewer. Zeitlin chooses to conceal information to give a sense of fear in the unknown. This is contrasted with the shots of Hushpuppy, where the camera remains much stiller and the cuts become less jarring. Overall this exemplifies the mood of the film, a conflict between two ideas, fantasy and realism, shown through the two protagonists.

Another scene in which I found to be very indicative of this aesthetic, was when Hushpuppy set her house alight. This seems to be purely concerned with fantasy, as the focus on Hushpuppy is lessened, in favour of Wink. Instead, our senses are inundated with images of raging infernos of fire and the diegetic rattling of furniture. The rapid edits and dark lighting dazzle the audience even more. In this instance, it’s important to see this complete fantasy (it’s not relatable for a young child to have their own house, let alone be a pyromaniac) this early on in the film, so that we can contrast it with the ending.

It’s important that the ending uses fire to evoke emotion as well. However, the fantasy is toned down because Wink (symbolic of the surreal) is dead and the fire goes with him too. I liked this callback through the mise-en-scene because it suggests that Hushpuppy understands the severity of her situation and that her father isn’t coming back. It also suggests that the aesthetic had a purpose beyond amplifying the beauty of the cinematography. That, in the end fantasy is just that and as the audience, we can’t lose track of the poverty that is very prevalent in society today.

My favourite instance of the aesthetic being used perfectly and the clashing of fantasy and realism coming into the foreground, is the scene in which Hushpuppy is relocated to a welfare facility. Zeitlin shows a turning point in the character arc of Hushpuppy, through her interaction with realism in this setting. For example, we see Hushpuppy’s costume change into a neat dress and she looks much akin to the other children in the facility. This indicates she is integrating more into realistic society.

Additionally, we see Hushpuppy interact with patients who are near the end of their life. Not only does this foreshadow Wink’s ultimate demise, it also suggests that the aesthetic exists to show how Hushpuppy’s life is changing to become less fantastical, as she becomes familiar with the idea of mortality. Much of the dialogue is done through voice over at this point, giving a self-reflective feel. This also feels past tense, as if Hushpuppy herself acknowledges this interaction with a dying man as an important event in her short life. Consequently, as Hushpuppy shows more relatable traits and behaviour, she clashes more with her father and the oppositional aesthetic intensifies. This suggests that Hushpuppy is at a crossroads and the narrative will increase in pace and head towards a tragic crescendo.

Representation:

Throughout the film, Zeitlin explores the representation of hardship and poverty through the character of Hushpuppy. In fact, Zeitlin chooses to make Hushpuppy the spokeswoman for suffering. She is the ‘true’ minority: black, a woman and a child. Therefore, this focus on minority representation of suffering amplifies the audience’s sense of fortune and privilege. Interestingly, this three-pronged approach to representing suffering is effective because it allows the audience to easily identify the hardships that Hushpuppy faces due to these factors.

Zeitlin uses blends the representation of gender and age into one homogenous mass, in the sense that stereotypical values of these ideas are subverted seemingly simultaneously. For example, the diminutive idea that young girls aren’t as confident as boys is shown to be a fallacy because Hushpuppy remains inquisitive throughout the film. For example, we see her question the teacher on the origins of her tattoo. Equally, she wants to learn more about her mother’s origins. This suggests that she doesn’t conform to these outdated ideas.

Hushpuppy most definitely seems to be much older than she truly is. The fact that she has her own home and is allowed to be independent are examples of this. Perhaps Zeitlin is alluding to the idea that impoverished children miss out on a lot of youth because they are forced to fend for themselves. Whilst this isn’t necessarily a negative portrayal of youth, it does suggest that Hushpuppy’s age is irrelevant to the story. That her character development is in spite of her youth, rather than because of it.

Zeitlin chooses to portray Hushpuppy as androgynous and, at points, even slightly masculine. This conforms to traditionally antiquated ideas that link strength to masculinity. We know that Hushpuppy is strong both emotionally (she doesn’t lament the loss of her mother) and physically (she is a fast runner and willing to arm-wrestle adults). Even though this link to strength and gender is potentially implied, it is as a result of the actions of Wink. If anything, Wink operates as a pseudo-antagonist, lambasting traditional femininity and encouraging Hushpuppy to stop being a “stupid little girl”. This leads to Hushpuppy taking on more feminine ideals, when she wears a dress for the first time in the film. However, her apparent discomfort at this suggests that she prefers her previous clothes. In many ways, Zeitlin is trying to blur the lines between gender and strength because Hushpuppy’s gender is never made front and centre and, like her age, her gender seems ancillary to the ending and that her coming of age is because of her own decisions.

In terms of the representation of ethnicity, there’s nothing outwardly obvious that hints towards any sort of negative portrayal. In fact, Zeitlin forgoes using ethnicity to heighten tension, instead showing a ‘melting pot’ of different cultures in the bathtub. The fact that they operate in perfect harmony and unison could be read as Zeitlin suggesting that racial violence is caused by other forces (e.g. politics or economics). That humans are inherently friendly and welcoming. After the and welfare services get involved with the bathtub towards the end of the film, the tensions increase, which is further evidence of a third-party being the only reason we have racial injustice and prejudice.

Ideology:

Indie films are distinct in that they can be much more creative and expressive that a more mainstream Hollywood film. This doesn’t necessarily always relate to the cinematography or performance but also concerns particular ideological themes that the director explores. In Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Zeitlin uses this ability to question rather than comfort the audience. Namely, the film offers a clear critique on Western capitalist societies rather than exploring purely fantastical ideas, which might have been preemptively expected given the genre of the film.

Zeitlin delves further into this Marxist film theory as the narrative progresses. It is clear that the main suggestion is that capitalism has failed our society. This is alluded to because in the supposedly successful America, there are severely impoverished citizens living in squalid conditions. This is merely an implicit ideological portrayal of the hardships of poverty from the offset because, rather unusually, the bathtub community seems content with their lifestyles.

Nevertheless, the suffering that Hushpuppy endures due to her poverty is amplified throughout the course of the narrative, with a specifically shocking scene being of her house being burnt down. Therefore, it could be argued that this ideology manifests into a much more explicit variant. That is to say, that as Hushpuppy begins to suffer more from the effects of her poverty, Zeitlin encourages his audience to feel more uncomfortable. This is potentially done to encourage the audience to feel anger towards the Government. Perhaps Zeitlin could be hinting that a young girl’s anguish is attributed to the failings of an outdated system of capitalism.

On top of that, Zeitlin goes further, exploring another implicit ideological value of class and hierarchy. This is shown through a visual metaphor. The poor bathtub is geographically isolated from the wealthier city by means of a river. The key turning point comes when Wink goes to blow up the barrier that physically separates the two areas. This action is met with hesitation by the teacher. This is interesting because Zeitlin could be suggesting that this separation is a beneficial thing that provides for different life experiences on each level of the social hierarchy. Alternatively, the elaborate explosion could indicate that Zeitlin believes that this separation between classes should be completely eradicated.

Critically, Beasts Of The Southern Wild is thematically different to most other films because it does not reflect dominant ideologies back to the viewer, instead it chooses to almost shock the audience with how Zeitlin subverts the perceived success of capitalism in today’s society. In many respects, Wink’s death at the culmination of the film is the true reflection of how capitalism has supposedly failed us. The dying embers of a once great system are seen drifting away. It’s also significant to acknowledge the youth of Hushpuppy. It is very likely that Zeitlin uses this to appeal to a younger demographic that are more likely to be accepting of his radical and Marxist ideas. This is important in understanding why different viewers might feel different emotions at certain key points in the film.

Spectatorship:

Beasts Of The Southern Wild offers an extremely interesting look into spectatorship and why people view films differently. This is because, at its core, the film tackles an extremely sensitive and devastating topic – poverty. Consequently, there is a clear distinction between: spectators with an emotional connection rooted in shared life experiences and spectators with an emotional connection stemming from investing in the characters. This distinction needs to be made because it informs why opinions vary across economic demographics.

For example, when the bathtub gets flooded, this might resonate extremely ferociously with some of the poorer victims of hurricane Katrina. However, the use of darkness and long-shots when filming Hushpuppy and Wink’s journey through the flooded settlement is telling, in that it aims to remove the viewer from the action and view the tragedy in isolation. Although, somebody with a personal experience of having their house flooded might empathise with the protagonists to the extent where they find it too hard to continue watching. This deep emotion is powerful because it suggests that Zeitlin can draw on contextual factors to heighten the drama in his story. Rather than being done out of malice, Zeitlin aims to pay respect to these victims. This is achieved through the coming of age of Hushpuppy over the subsequent parts of the narrative. Thereby suggesting that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

One of my favourite features of the film is how Zeitlin blends the intra and extra diegetic gazes, to manipulate the audience’s emotions. This is more of a generalised effect rather than impacting different demographics. This is best seen through the character of Hushpuppy. An intra diegetic gaze is employed when she talks with her dad. For example, in the emotional scene where Wink informs his daughter that he’s sick, we see close up shot reverse shots of the protagonists. This magnifies the emotive power of the scene and the audience can appreciate the drama that is shown.

The intrigue comes when Zeitlin reverses this, in scenes that focus solely on Hushpuppy. This is exemplified at the end of the film, where an extra diegetic gaze is used. Hushpuppy is at her most self reflective with voice overs and close ups of her face that seem to speak directly to the audience. This makes the spectator uncomfortable and accentuates an extremely cathartic moment in the film. In many respects, Hushpuppy is speaking to the audience – telling them that things will work out fine in the end (highlighting her character growth). This will have varying degrees of an emotional effect on different people. This is dependent on how affected they were by the poverty and hardship shown throughout the film.

One of the more complex ideas is looking at why people might choose to watch the film. I’d like to hypothesise that Zeitlin takes an unusual stance towards his film in that he aims to educate. It’s clear that ideas of education are present in the film (the teacher works in a bustling classroom). However, the notion that the film exists to educate is perplexing because of how fantastical it is in parts. When Hushpuppy sets her house ablaze, a dramatic piece of dialogue ensues; which seems completely unreal. Nevertheless, I believe that Zeitlin educates through a suggestion of a moral code that shines through even the darkest and unlikely of places (Hushpuppy and her father eventually make amends despite the tragic circumstances surrounding his death). This is important in not only positively influencing younger viewers but also comforting people in similar circumstances, who might be disenchanted or desolate in their own lives. The implication that we are all unified through decency, despite our living circumstances, is a powerful message that had a profound effect on me.