Ben Cash (Viggo Mortensen) lives in the woods with his brood
of six children, home-schooling them, and teaching lessons on survival, hunting
and off-grid living. His anti-capitalist philosophy has led them to retreat
from society, which comes with both benefits and pitfalls as the children find
it difficult to socialise with those outside their family unit. When Ben
receives news that his wife, who was in an institution due to bipolar disorder,
has died he takes the children to attend her funeral, despite being warned away
by his in-laws, who wish for a traditional ceremony opposed to her own wish to
be cremated. On their journey the family’s seemingly harmonious existence is
threatened by the outside world and internal tensions; and Ben must learn what
it means to be a father.
The film is beautifully shot, from the opening scenes of
their woodland retreat to their emergence into the urban streets. The humour is
perfectly judged to not overbalance the emotional impact of the drama. The
child actors all do a great job and the script gives them all a chance to
shine. The sense of camaraderie and love built through the script and
performances makes every moment with them enjoyable.
Written and directed by Matt Ross, “Captain Fantastic”
presents us with a refreshing take on the parenthood theme. The atypical
lifestyle of the family nevertheless throws up all the same problems familiar
to those rearing children. These include awkward questions regarding sex, how
to deal with emotional issues, how to educate, and how to take care of these
young people. The film tackles these things in a humorous way and for the most
part is totally on the side of Ben and his family. We see them celebrating Noam
Chomsky Day for example (rather than more traditional religious observances),
and the children are all smart, caring and well-educated, if frighteningly
knowledgeable about how to fight and kill. The arguments against consumerist
culture, paucity of education in the school system, and the ignorance
inculcated by religion, are all well-made and played for laughs as much as to
make a political or philosophical point. However, the film also shows the
downside to their lifestyle with the children being completely oblivious to
social norms and cultural references, at times blaming their father for
sheltering them from this other world they feel they are missing out on.
In the opening scene of the film we see the family on a
hunt, covered in earth and washing themselves in the river. They are portrayed
almost as a wolf pack and the fierce loyalty of the children to their father is
heart-warming. The feral nature of their existence provides for a look at
parenting in its essentials, as Ben passes down knowledge, protects and
encourages them to learn and grow. It forces you to consider what is truly
important in life and shows the absurdity of the ideologies by which most
people live. They value truth, knowledge, strength and compassion above all
else. The film gives an understanding of those living on the margins and an
appreciation of the underlying humanity and common concerns of fatherhood.
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