The Hunt and the Slaughter

Author(s): AJ Bell

Location: N/A

"The Hunt and the Slaughter"

Written and Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Cinematography by Ellen Kuras

Main Cast

Emile Hirsch – Pete Manch
Charlize Theron – Gwen Lovitz
Josh Brolin – Jack Lovitz
Paul Newman – Pops Manch
With
Edward Furlong – Sheriff Tull

Tagline: "Whether He Knows it or Not, the Hunt is On"

Synopsis: Pete Manch is a 23 year old man who works the long hours of his life on his father's farm. He tends the fields, herds the cattle, and pretty much runs the show on Pops Manch's Oklahoma ranch. But when a new couple comes to town, Gwen Lovitz, the 37-year-old wife of Jack Lovitz, a very large, very scary man that just moved here from the deep Southland of Louisiana, instantly infatuates Pete. When Jack is looking for a job, Pops sees he has a potential to be a good worker, because of his size and strength. Jack and Pete begin working together, and Gwen comes by often. She begins to notice Pete the way Pete had been noticing her. They talk for hours while Pops has Jack doing things that Pete can't. They begin to have an affair. Meeting anywhere they can to make love. Jack is starting to get suspicious. He confronts Gwen about it. He tells her that if she every talks to Pete again, he will slit his throat in front of her, and then do the same to her. Frightened, Gwen goes to Pete and tells him. Their decision is to escape to another place. When Jack finds out about this, he begins a one-man army to hunt down Pete and Gwen. Before he leaves, the town Sheriff confronts him to let him know that if he hears about anything happening to the two of them, he will know whom to arrest. Without flinching, Jack takes a hammer out and slays the Sheriff. He carries the hammer with him from now on like a gladiator carries a sword. The hunt is on.

After a few days, Pops gets worried. He goes over to Jack's house to find out if Jack knows anything about where Pete may have gone. He discovers the Sheriffs corpse. A map on the wall shows the path that Pete and Gwen took, and the path that Jack planned on taking. Pops rips the map off the wall, and runs to his pickup truck. He must save his son from the same fate as that of the Sheriff.

As the heated chase goes on, Jack cuts down anyone in his path. Whether it be a gun store clerk, a local police officer, or even a married couple who cuts him off in traffic. Gwen and Pete find a run down farm to hide out at for a while, not knowing that death is on their trail. One night, a truck pulls up outside. Pete wakes up and slowly goes to the window. He looks outside and sees Jack. Jack yells for him to come face him like a man. Pete grabs his gun. Gwen is still asleep. Right when Pete is about to go to the door, he hears footsteps outside the door. He raises his gun and steps closer to the door. Jack bursts in and knocks the gun out of Pete's hand with his hammer. He then cracks Pete over the skull with it. Pete falls out the window onto the cold desert sand below. Gwen screams for him but then Jack pulls out a knife and jams it into her chest. She falls back screaming.

Outside the house, Pops pulls up and sees his son sprawled out on the ground. He runs up to him, but from behind him Jack shoots him multiple times. Jack slowly walks up to the two bodies, both are squirming. He raises the gun to Pops head and fires. Pops is no longer squirming, but now Pete is screaming out at Jack. Jack looks Pete up and down is about to enjoy the pain he will bring him, but before he can multiple bullets fly through his own body from behind. He quickly turns around and sees Gwen standing there, a knife through her chest and Pete's gun in her hands. Jack just smiles at her. He gets up and runs toward her. She fires a couple more times, but they do nothing. He grabs the knife handle sticking out of her and twists it. She screams, but it is too late. She is dead. Jack turns around to finish Pete, but Pete is no longer there.

Jack and Pete now fight it out in the woods, ending with Jack dead and Pete continuing the live he could never have again. His father, his lover, and his life were all now gone.

What the Press would say:

The intensely dramatic thriller "The Hunt and the Slaughter" is definitely the best film this year. Every piece of this incredibly entertaining work of art is crafted to perfection with a sleek integrity that earns it the title of Best Picture of the Year. The Direction is flawless, and Darren Aronofsky's smart, exciting script is by far superior to any of his other works. His style clearly shows through the scenes in this wondrously haunting visual masterpiece.

The acting is possibly one of the best ensembles in recent years. The chemistry between Hirsch and Theron is comparable to DiCaprio and Winslet in Titanic or Beady and Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde. Josh Brolin's thick Louisiana accent is so authentic, I would believe him to be a New Orleans native. His presence on screen is so terrifying, he is one the most memorable movie villains of the last few decades. Paul Newman coming back to films pays off dearly as playing the wise, elderly father.

Roger Ebert – Two Thumbs Up! The Most Excitingly Beautiful Film of the Year

Entertainment Weekly – A Modern Masterpiece! Grade A

Rolling Stone – Horrifyingly Magnificent! Four Stars

POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS

Best Picture (Drama GG)
Best Director – Darren Aronofsky
Best Actor – Emile Hirsc
Best Supporting Actor – Josh Brolin
Best Supporting Actress – Charlize Theron
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Original Score
Best Editing
Best Ensemble (SAG)