With all the hullabaloo around HBO’s lauded “Game of Thrones” miniseries, is there room for an introspective rumination on the men (and few women) who put on costumes and play-act the glory and squalor that populate Middle Age legends? 2009’s The Wild Hunt, which took two years to come to DVD, arrives as a flawed but ambitious film, a combustion of genres that alternates unsteadily between camp and drama but ends on a heavy philosophical note that elevates the work as a whole. With elements of family drama and tragic romance set against a most unusual environment, The Wild Hunt succeeds despite its multiple missteps.
Erik Magnusson (Ricky Mabe) is in love with Evelyn (Kaniehtiio Horn), but has trouble getting his life together. Erik shares a tiny apartment with his father, who teeters on the edge of madness. Evelyn walks out on Eric into the arms of Trevor Hayes, who whisks her away to a forest somewhere in the Canadian wilderness, where LARPers (Live Action Role Players) let their imaginations run wild. It’s a controlled environment, with dedicated refs like Tamara (Claudia Yurt) making sure the fantasy alliances and battles are played out fairly.
One man in particular demands much respect and attention, with a booming baritone that’s never out of character. That man is Bjorn (Mark A. Krupa, who also co-wrote the script), brother of Erik, who flaunts his supposed Viking ancestry and prepares for war against the mysterious and animalistic Shaman Murtagh (Hayes). Erik pursues Evelyn into the LARPers camp and finds himself forced to adapt to the rules of this imaginary playground, populated by grown men and women who appear to want nothing more than a release from the daily grind.
Alexandre Franchi wrings some astounding imagery from a paltry $500,000 budget. He co-wrote the script with Krupa and the gentlemen were wise enough to poke fun at the holes in the fantasy. A scene involving a ship on the rough seas for example, deflates when we cut to a wide shot and see how it’s done. It’s fitting too, since Hunt is all about the seams in the fantasy, the roughhewn efforts of the many to fall in line, to pretend, to get away from real life and find strength they otherwise might not.
Bjorn in particular is a fascinating character and Krupa plays him as a larger than life dreamer who refuses to give up his drug. As his character, he is a fearless Viking leader, a brave and wise warrior who fears no one. Wielding Mjölnir, Thor’s mighty hammer (an ordinary work hammer with a lengthy handle), Bjorn is unstoppable.
The transformation of the LARPing ground from a fantasy to a nightmarish reality and the corruption of Bjorn’s ideals turns the film’s playful first half on its head. I dare not spoil how it happens and why, but suffice to say it will force you to examine gender roles and the how fantasy stacks up to sudden and dangerous reality. It’s a shaky premise, far removed from Erik’s comedic induction into the Viking ranks, but feels natural to the film by the time its over. The Wild Hunt tricks you into relaxing and expecting a sort of film you’d seen before and then dares to pull the rug out form under you. For that, Franchi and Krupa deserve credit as screenwriters and Franchi as a director, since he manages to keep the various side plots in the air as they coalesce into a maelstrom that threatens to swallow up our cast.
The primary flaw that may sway viewers is the lack of an established relationship between Erik and Evelyn (who is frankly a pretty dislikable character). Their relationship is in a way a backbone to the story and seeing it play out without much background is confusing and does the film no favors. Other than that, some of the plot developments may be less than explained in the short running time, but you either go with the strong flow or you pick the film apart for its minor faults. The Wild Hunt is a film of surprising staying power and the character of Bjorn in particular is fascinating.
DVD Bonus Features
A couple of short featurettes showing off the crew hanging out at film festivals and premiers, as well some making-of footage. Also included are storyboards and the trailer, which sells the film as something very different from what’ll end up on your home screen.
"The Wild Hunt" is on sale June 7, 2011 and is rated R. Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller. Directed by Alexandre Franchi . Written by Alexandre Franchi, Mark A. Krupa. Starring Claudia Yurt, Kaniehtiio Horn, Mark A Krupa, Ricky Mabe, Trevor Hayes.
