Gunda movie review & film summary (2021)


Gunda, an expressive female pig, has just given birth to a litter of impossibly adorable piglets at a Norwegian farmstead. Their high-pitch squeals, as they all fight to feed at once, announce their first bonding session with mom and each other. From the moment we are invited into the hay-laden abode, our visual contact with her and her young is always up-close. Shot with natural light and a chiaroscuro sensibility, the black-and-white frames play with shadows and silhouettes. 

With the camera close to the ground and moving swiftly about the open spaces, Kossakovsky and his co-cinematographer Egil Haaskjold Larsen prioritize the animals’ vantage point. Their visual language forces the viewer to experience the world at their eye level and not from a position of dominance. There’s a miraculous blend of craft and implicit cooperation in the astounding close proximity with which they immortalized all their non-verbal subjects—including an audacious one-legged chicken. 

As the small flock of chickens survey a terrain steep in vegetation they appear to be explorers in a newfound land or astronauts on a foreign planet entering the unknown. There’s a sense of discovery in the way the hesitant winged friends roam around for what seems to be their first time out of a cage. Kossakovsky lets us into their secret lives; we are guests who get to wonder in their engagement with a freedom so often denied to them. 

On the rare occasion of a wide shot, we witness Gunda’s domain or that of the supporting cast. This is of special relevance in an epic scene of cattle running without restraint, or as we see the energetic, juvenile hogs chasing after their mother. Time has passed and they are much bigger but just as playful. Each segment runs its course leisurely, substituting a zoology research with a reflective study. 

Kossakovsky begets meaningful character development, at once disarming and unvarnished. It’s in the way the cows stare straight into the camera or how they help one another swat insects away, in how Gunda mothers her brood or placidly lounges in mud, or in how an angelical piglet bathed in the warm morning light curiously steps into the outdoors. “Gunda” operates with the spiritual grandeur of a Terrence Malick film and an underlying, non-militant plea to rethink our relationship with animals we have dismissed as subservient and only valuable in the measure that they serve as our food. 

You can view the original article HERE.

Megan Thee Stallion Declares “Hot Girl Summer” is Loading with New Chicas Divertidas Campaign
Megan Thee Stallion Declares “Hot Girl Summer” is Loading with New Chicas Divertidas Campaign
David Beckham’s Sons Brooklyn and Romeo Feuding, Not on Speaking Terms
David Beckham’s Sons Brooklyn and Romeo Feuding, Not on Speaking Terms
50 Cent Dominates Roku: His Action Channel Ranks Top 5% Amid Fan Frenzy
50 Cent Dominates Roku: His Action Channel Ranks Top 5% Amid Fan Frenzy
Meghan Markle’s As Ever line of jams, teas, baking mixes sells out in under an hour. ‘This is just the beginning,’ she promises fans.
Meghan Markle’s As Ever line of jams, teas, baking mixes sells out in under an hour. ‘This is just the beginning,’ she promises fans.
“Hacks” Returns at the Peak of Its Comedic Powers | TV/Streaming
“Hacks” Returns at the Peak of Its Comedic Powers | TV/Streaming
‘Devil May Cry’ Fans Need to Watch the Original 2007 Anime
‘Devil May Cry’ Fans Need to Watch the Original 2007 Anime
Fred Hechinger Saves This Comedy Slasher
Fred Hechinger Saves This Comedy Slasher
Class Critique In Apple TV+’s “Your Friends and Neighbors” Lacks Bite, But Still Entertains   | TV/Streaming
Class Critique In Apple TV+’s “Your Friends and Neighbors” Lacks Bite, But Still Entertains   | TV/Streaming
JAY B 2025 ‘Tape: Re Load’ world tour: tickets, dates and more
JAY B 2025 ‘Tape: Re Load’ world tour: tickets, dates and more
David Thewlis remembers “awful” five months working with Val Kilmer on ill-fated ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’
David Thewlis remembers “awful” five months working with Val Kilmer on ill-fated ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’
‘The White Lotus’ composer not returning for season four over creative differences
‘The White Lotus’ composer not returning for season four over creative differences
Lady Gaga reacts to Lucy Dacus’ ‘Abracadabra’ cover
Lady Gaga reacts to Lucy Dacus’ ‘Abracadabra’ cover
Embiid to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery
Embiid to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery
Report: NBA investigating Morant for apparent gun gesture vs. Warriors
Report: NBA investigating Morant for apparent gun gesture vs. Warriors
T-Wolves spoil Jokic’s 61-point game on buzzer-beating foul shots in 2OT
T-Wolves spoil Jokic’s 61-point game on buzzer-beating foul shots in 2OT
Steelers owner: ‘All signs are positive’ for Rodgers signing
Steelers owner: ‘All signs are positive’ for Rodgers signing
‘Hell of a Summer’ Stars Discuss Bonding at Camp in Finn Wolfhard & Billy Bryk’s Slasher Comedy
‘Hell of a Summer’ Stars Discuss Bonding at Camp in Finn Wolfhard & Billy Bryk’s Slasher Comedy
11 Midseason Replacements That Became Broadcast TV’s Biggest Hits
11 Midseason Replacements That Became Broadcast TV’s Biggest Hits
‘Superman’ Star Recalls “the Magic of Cinema” Moment That Left the Cast in Awe
‘Superman’ Star Recalls “the Magic of Cinema” Moment That Left the Cast in Awe
Rebirth’ Reveals New Trailer Footage at CinemaCon
Rebirth’ Reveals New Trailer Footage at CinemaCon
BELLE I MODE’s Shannon Lunseth Kotze Is Ready For April Buying Week!
BELLE I MODE’s Shannon Lunseth Kotze Is Ready For April Buying Week!
Woolmark Prize’s Big Winner, H&M Chats With Magda Butrym!
Woolmark Prize’s Big Winner, H&M Chats With Magda Butrym!
Gia Mezz On Designing for The Modern Wardrobe With Leau
Gia Mezz On Designing for The Modern Wardrobe With Leau
There May Be a Hidden Clue About the "White Lotus" Murder in Chloe's Necklace – Shop Here
There May Be a Hidden Clue About the "White Lotus" Murder in Chloe's Necklace – Shop Here