The Hunt Journal - Gustavo Nanclares PDF

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Gustavo Nanclares...

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The Hunt (1966) is a chilling film that explores what man is truly capable of. Although it starts as a seemingly mundane – even slow – film about friends from the war who go on a hunting trip, it suddenly descends into something much darker. The metaphorical connection between rabbits and soldiers from the Civil War is immediately apparent; the friends are hunting on the same terrain as they once battled on, and they frequently make seemingly nonchalant comments about the countless men who lost their lives there. It is not only the men’s memories, however, that linger in the countryside; we discover that a corpse from the war is nestled in a cave there, a physical representation of the tragic legacy that will forever scar this land. One particularly chilling line towards the film’s beginning foreshadows its grisly end: the men are discussing how rabbits are easy and boring targets to hunt, because they never get the chance to defend themselves. Another man remarks something along the lines of: “that’s why they say men are the best targets to hunt.” Saura explores the darker sides of man, not only portraying their capability to enact violence, but even suggesting that they enjoy it. During the first frenzied hunting scene, for example, one rabbit halts in its tracks and immediately sits still, a stark contrast from the other rabbits that have been darting back and forth, trying to avoid the bullets. Nonetheless, someone takes aim and shoots. It’s made clear that this hunting trip isn’t about collecting food – it’s about the thrill and perhaps sense of superiority that humans find in destroying life, and the inability of former soldiers to relinquish the bloody legacy of the Civil War. Luis’ references to his science fiction novels often lead to chilling observations, as well. In one scene, he illustrates his vision of the apocalypse: one where rabbits multiply until they’re able to overthrow humans. He even suggests that humanity is doomed and might be better off this way, suggesting that

because rabbits are small, the earth will be able to accommodate more of them and eliminate class problems. By the film’s end, the men have descended into animalistic states; it seems like nature plays a large part in pushing them to this point, as the men frequently make remarks about the oppressive heat and express their agitation. In the end, they do the rabbits’ work for them in destroying themselves....