Prey (2022)
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
When the film 'Predator' came out in 1987, it was a hit. It was the time of American jingoism. The free world believed that America was the only superpower around and only they could give the best solution to all of world problems. Rambo and his First Blood franchise did just that. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Muscleman from Austria, did not want to be left behind. After fighting baddies from all four corners of the world, it was only natural that our Mr. Universe try a hand at muscling down enemies from out of this world. When 'Predator', a sequel to 'Prey' in terms of story timeline, came out, it was a super duper hit. Shot in the lush forest of South America with cinematography completed with sense-around movie theatres, moviegoers thought that was the pinnacle of Hollywood's moviemaking.
The movie developed a cult following. Comic books were rolled out, bankrolling on its success. Board games and computer games ensued. After all possible clientele were exhausted, the natural course of action was collaborating with followers of the 1979 'Alien' franchise. Since the main characters of both 'Alien' and 'Predator' fought extra-terrestrial forces, it was only logical that fighting matches were fixed between these two alien forces. Numerous spinoffs were churned out subsequently.
Following the 1987 film, many sequels came out with not-so-creative titles. 'Predator 2' (1990), 'Alien vs Predator' (2004), 'Alien vs Predator 2' (2007), 'Predators' (2010) and 'The Predator' (2018).
After exhausting all avenues of reaping profit from the 'Predator' franchise, the logical next action plan is to return to the basics. So they went to the beginning, pre-independent New World, in 1719, when the Comanche people roamed the land freely. The first Yautja, the villain, probably landed on Earth and started his hunting expedition.
In keeping with the times, the cast and the storyline are kept politically acceptable to the people in Hollywood and the viewing crowd at large. The protagonist has to be a lady, of course, and from a minority group, a Native American. Comanche language is spoken liberally throughout most of the film. The whites are depicted as uncouth, uncultured and heartless carpetbaggers.
Everyone is a hunter here. The Yautja hunts for sport. The Comanches hunt for survival to satisfy their basic needs of food and shelter. Over the generations, the Comanches have developed a symbiotic relationship with Nature. They hunt what is needed and maintain peace with their surroundings for generations. The French hunters depicted here are observed to be evil, hedonistic, self-serving people who turn violent because they can. They abuse Nature by hunting bison indiscriminately for monetary gains and torture the Comanche for the kick of it.
In its visually pleasing display, we experience the hunted turning the table against the hunter in the thick of American wilderness at a time when being civilised meant staying in zen with Nature, not abusing and raping the environment for personal gains. The prey becomes the predator for survival.
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