Beasts of the Southern Wild
Beasts of the Southern Wild is an independent film directed by Benh Zeitlin. The film
was shown at a number of film festivals where interest in its quirky plotline sparked and spread
like wildfire—which led to its acclaimed release in July 2012 in Los Angeles, California. The
film takes place beyond the levees on a secluded delta off the New Orleans coast called “the
Bathtub”. A storm is looming over the residents, but they do not evacuate; they choose to remain
loyal to their homeland. Hushpuppy, the story’s unconventional protagonist, is merely 6, yet her
perspective is one poignant enough to follow as the Bathtub’s residents deal with the aftermath
of the storm. It seems that all other aspects parallel the downfall of the region after the storm—
Hushpuppy’s father, Wink, becomes mysteriously ill with treatments helping modestly, and also
parallel, temperatures steadily rise to allow the melting of glaciers containing archaic aurochs.
Beasts of the Southern Wild can, on the surface, be looked at as a dystopian community, but
under further examination, one can see that the Bathtub represents more than just a poverty-
ridden town, but rather, a region symbolizing hope and staying true to one’s identity—no matter
the pressures that may confine. Beasts of the Southern Wild can attest its widespread acceptance
and acclaim to its portrayal of real-life issues, from the scope of a child living in a fictional
setting—allowing all audiences to identify with at least one facet.
The residents of the Bathtub are poor—there’s no way around that fact. This can be seen
in their mannerisms, style of dress, appearance, and even outright conversations with one
another. This film, however, glorifies the poverty-stricken community. Moreover, Beasts of the
Southern Wild provides its audience with a window of how those in need “really” feel about
assistance. The inhabitants of the island want to be left unbothered, plain and simple. They do
not want proper healthcare, nutrition, or education for themselves or their offspring. In this false
display of the lower class being perverse and stubborn, it gives way for viewers who have always
lived comfortably to believe that all those receiving aid are ungrateful and that this help should
stop, since it is a waste. In the film, one of the public health workers places food on Hushpuppy’s
tray and instantly, Wink exclaims, “Don’t eat that, hear!” Wink’s doctor then comes up to him
and begins speaking, but Wink angrily cuts him off to prevent Hushpuppy from overhearing his
grim diagnosis (Beasts of the Southern Wild, 1:02:29).
Hushpuppy is a warrior. As in most fantasy-esque films, Hushpuppy’s mother is nowhere
to be found, so she is faced with being raised by her father, a blubbering alcoholic. In his
defense, Wink, her father, really is trying his best to care for his daughter. His upbringing was
one rather storied with instances of having to “toughen up” and being reprimanded for showing
feelings, so this is all he knows in regards to how a child should grow up. Wink instills that the
