Guadagnino’s Tale of Morality and Power
TORONTO – “All your generation, you’re scared of saying the wrong thing. When did offending someone become the cardinal sin?” – movie quote from After The Hunt.
One of cinema’s more “distinctive auteurs”, Luca Guadagnino once declared that Roberto Rossellini and Bernardo Bertolucci were his main influences. Mainly for their capacity to inspire audiences to think – and not through heavy-handed messaging. Believing Bertolucci to be an intellectual who had a “knack for grabbing reality” on screen, Guadagnino has built a similar reputation for attacking issues with a global perspective.
And his latest film After The Hunt perfectly illustrates his ability to explore all points of view. Tiredly billed [by some] as a “#Metoo Thriller”, the film stars Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield and will be making its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August.
The plot, as per its IMDB page: “A college professor (Roberts) finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light”.
Given the ever-rising tension on college campuses since the turn of the century, via the Millennial army of social justice warriors and their generation defining #metoo movement, the buzz around Guadagnino’s latest film has been red hot. To the point that before the film was even test screened last December, its Screenplay had been reviewed and distributed online – somehow.
On Reddit posts and other online forums, you’ll find threads like this one that read: “Anyone have the script for Luca Guadagnino’s new film, After the Hunt? I know it’s been floating around but I haven’t been able to snatch a copy”. Scripts can be hacked, stolen or purposely leaked, but it remains a rare occurrence. The fact that Guadagnino’s films are this anticipated speaks volumes of his talent.
The Italian Director calls the film a “tale of morality and power” and is certain that his female star has given a must-watch performance. Guadagnino: “After The Hunt is about what happens in the milieu of academia between older and younger people…I’ve been a fan of Julia forever. As a movie star, she has something that not everybody has, and I’m trying not to be presumptive, but I feel like this is the best performance she’s ever given”.
After The Hunt is scheduled for a wide release on October 17th this year and has the distinct honour of being the first film from Amazon MGM Studios to be released internationally by Sony Pictures Releasing International.
(Images courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios)
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix
