IMDB Synopsis: BIG BAD WOLVES
A series of brutal murders puts the lives of three men on a collision course: The father of the latest victim now out for revenge, a vigilante police detective operating outside the boundaries of law, and the main suspect in the killings — a religious studies teacher arrested and released due to a police blunder.
THE MOVIEAn opening filled with foreboding; children playing hide and seek in the forest; the sound of laughter. One of their friends goes missing and we are left with the stark unsettling image of a single red shoe left behind. An electrifying beginning to the newest film from writer/director pairing Navot Papushado and Aharon Kashales (Rabies). Set in Israel, a serial killer is raping and murdering young girls, leaving behind their decapitated bodies. The main suspect is local teacher Dror (Rotem Keinan), who was released from custody due to insufficient evidence and brutality on the part of police officer Micki (Lior Ashkenazi). Ex-Chief of Police and father to the most recent victim, Gidi (Tzahi Grad) takes it upon himself to abduct Dror and torture the information as to the whereabouts of these heads to allow the families to put their children to rest. Micki gets caught up in the plot and soon the two men find themselves locked in a basement with Dror tied to a chair and things are about to escalate pretty quickly.
In interviews the writer/directors say that Big Bad Wolves “draws inspiration from the society in which we live”, ergo the film can be seen as a critique of the perceived heavy handedness of the Israeli authorities. But really, the scenario could unfold in any country (cue US remake…) where a father might be faced with such terrible acts. The pervading theme of the film is about being a father, each of the main characters has a child, each trying to do that role justice, even one of the characters’ own fathers becomes embroiled in the scheme part of the way through the film. The Big Bad Wolf of the title speaks to the Grimm fairy tales, stories about a monster and indeed one such story is literally told here. It is a meshing of those two worlds, how a horrific act can turn a loving father into the very monster he abhors. The lengths they will go to in the pursuit of protecting a child or even just granting that child and the family peace. It does play to that darker chapter of a fairy tale, and also has echoes of Sympathy for Lady Vengeance and evokes similar themes of another film I only saw recently, last year’s Prisoners, which I found more emotionally exhausting.
The film as a whole has no real person to root for, save the child victims themselves. The cast are all in their own way monsters treading a fine line between right and wrong. That in itself speaks of pretty daring film making. It is very well paced, gripping, but its tonal switches and the context of certain scenes and actions can jar you out of the supremely dark hole they dropped the audience into.
The film treads these darker places well, with torture scenes brutal in their nonchalance. However the whole thing is pervaded by a certain sense of flippancy. A black comedy is something I frequently enjoy, here we have somewhat of a comedy farce: clueless old men trying to torture information out of a man. They are out of their depth, but with a cold, calculated approach. Interruptions due to neighbors of mothers on a cell phone, a bizarre use of Buddy Holly on the soundtrack; there is a playfulness to the film. Had the crime been more digestible, something like an heist double cross, the humor would have been more palatable. Alternatively, the darker side of proceedings could have been cranked up. As it stands, Big Bad Wolves unsteadily straddles both the horror and the levity the writers imbued into the production.
THE PACKAGE
The film translates really nicely onto Blu-ray. A lot of the interesting pallete choices come across nicely with deep blacks and good contrast, perfect for some of the murkier scenes, of which there are plenty. Sound quality is good, dialogue ‘seems’ clear but being in Hebrew I cannot comment conclusively on this. As for extras, the traditional trailer makes and appearance as well as A Look at Big Bad Wolves, very brief behind the scenes that seems like a truncated ‘Making Of’ cut around the trailer. The main feature is the ‘Making of Big Bad Wolves’, a bit short but interesting insight with interviews with cast and crew alike. Normal additions to a film but nothing mind blowing.
There is something uncomfortable about viewing Big Bad Wolves. It is essentially a rather playful endeavor with the murder of children as a horrific, jarring counterpoint. The black humor does alleviate things, but I think it would be very much a matter of personal taste how someone receives this film. A parent is guaranteed to have a more visceral response. It isn’t excessive or ‘torture porn’, instead more a commentary on the lengths people will go to in the name of justice and peace. The characters are closer to caricatures rather than fully fleshed out and relatable people which leaves the film a tad hollow, that being said, there is a lot of talent both in front of and behind the camera. I can’t help but recommend a viewing to anybody curious; it’s not a film for everyone, but there is a lot to appreciate here.
Big Bad Wolves is available on Blu-Ray today, April 22nd 2014.
