THE HUNT (JAGTEN) World Cinema

Mads Mikkelsen won the Best Actor Prize at Cannes this year for this performance. Thomas Vinterberg revives themes he has explored – the sanctity of childhood, family and community. As always, he challenges his characters with dark secrets. THE HUNT is about the witch-hunt that ensues when Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), a daycare worker, is accused of sexually abusing the young daughter of one of his closest friends. The accusation puts everything in Lucas’ life on hold, including his ability to gain custody of his son and retain the life-long friendships by which he defines himself. The possible facts are too disturbing for anyone to even discuss, so very little is ever disclosed about what may have happened. Every part of Mikkelsen’s face is a controlled canvas that somehow contains and expresses the anger and fear that Lucas suppresses. The performance is a controlled mirror into emotional turmoil; we get only glimpses of anger and fear in this career-defining performance.