"The Hunt" danish film

DANISH DRAMA FILLS "THE HUNT"

Whether it seems intuitive or not, many of our life-shaping lessons really are learned in kindergarten and on the grade school playground. All that early socialization which the academics study these days is often a simple reflection of primitive survival skills.

Danish director and co-screen writer Thomas Vinterberg explores this phenomenon in the subtly complex "The Hunt," now playing at the Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd.

Mads Mikkelsen plays Lukas, a bit of an odd sort who can't find a job as a proper school teacher so he takes a post at a rural kindergarten where the rest of the school staff is female.

Lukas is also going through confrontational divorce proceedings with his wife and son living elsewhere, though the son would prefer to live with Lukas.

The set-up isn't presented too clearly, but there is a sweet five-year-old, Klara (Annika Wedderkop), who attaches herself to Lukas. Klara's parents argue a lot and never have much time for her. Klara's brother, several years older, is far more interested in girls his own age.

So Lukas the playful kindergarten teacher is the most fun person Klara knows. Why shouldn't she make him a glittering paper heart, and want to give him a big hug and a kiss on the lips when he's rolling around on the floor with all the kids.

Not quite understanding the situation, Lukas gently suggests Klara give the paper heart to her parents and reminds her it is not appropriate to kiss anyone but your parents on the lips.

Disappointed, Klara tells the kindergarten principle that she hates Lukas. She innocently adds on some of the sex talk she heard from her brother, and includes the word "penis."

As the story develops from here, Lukas finds himself sinking in the Kafkaesque quicksand of immorality. Nobody will tell him exactly what the charges are, because they are too embarrassed to use that kind of language. But they keep insisting rather sinisterly that children never lie.

So the more Lucas protests, the deeper he sinks. Even in Denmark the subject of child sex abuse is rarely discussed in public. Nobody wants to ask Klara directly what happened, and since she is only five her every nod and frightened look is misinterpreted. The kindergarten principal and other adults who want to be helpful keep jumping to more unfortunate conclusions.

The film grows in power as we see there are no villains here. Everybody wants to do the right thing, but just like a tiny spark can ignite a blazing forest fire, Klara's misleading remark is exaggerated into child abuse and sexual molestation.

That's when "The Hunt" lives up to its name, with truth becoming an elusive prey which becomes ever more elusive the more intensely it is hunted down.