“The Amazing Story of Henry Sugar and Other Tales” is an unusual work by children’s author Roald Dahl. In this literary work for adults he deals with dark, philosophical and violent themes. Filmmaker Wes Anderson partnered with Dahl’s family and Netflix to adapt the book into several short films, which will be released sequentially on the streaming service.
Wes Anderson is one of the most influential and creative filmmakers of the current generation. His unique style is unmistakable, although it can change over the course of his performances. It was really a good deal to get my hands on this rich, dense work from Dahl. Recently, the short film “The Swan” was released to the public, a production whose aesthetic can be confused with the children’s genre, as it is playful and theatrical, but whose plot is shocking, frightening and violent.
The story revolves around three boys: Ernie, Raymond and Peter. For his birthday, Ernie receives a rifle that gives him an incredible sense of power and dominance. He calls his friend Raymond to shoot and kill any birds he sees along the way. Until they come across Peter Watson, a sweet and bright boy who is watching a woodpecker through his binoculars.
Given the boy’s fragility and innocence, they decide to tie him up and take him to the railway line. Mischief and cruelty combine to make Peter’s night the most terrible of his life. The small hostage manages to sink her skull between the stones of the line and ultimately survives after the large metal assembly nearly obliterates her from the face of the earth.
But Ernie and Raymond are not satisfied, they must delve deeper into their evil. They go to a lake with Peter under their control and shoot a beautiful and imposing swan. The scene breaks the heart of Peter, a bird lover who still manages to protect two chicks that were hidden under their mother’s body.
The duo asks Peter to look for the swan’s corpse, and Peter, unable to respond to the intimidation, carries the bird’s limp body in his arms. Ernie and Raymond cut off the bird’s wings and tie them to Peter, making him one of countless flying victims.
The boys cruelly ask him to climb a weeping willow whose leaves and branches, unfortunately for Peter, are not dense enough to hide him. The boys tell him to spread his wings and jump from the tree. He refuses, mostly because the place makes him feel like he’s at least in control. Ernie then takes his rifle and shoots Peter in the leg, which ends up hanging on the branch and eventually breaks.
The entire story is narrated by the adult Peter himself, played by Rupert Friend, suggesting that he survived that fateful encounter with bullies in his childhood. It is also a metaphor that represents our ability to survive and adapt. However, the wings that adult Peter also wears refer to the traumas that we carry with us throughout our lives.
Before the credits roll, Dahl is said to have taken inspiration from a newspaper story he had saved for years. How much of this story is real we don’t know, but there is a weight of fear and unrest that leaves a somewhat bitter taste in the mouth.
Movie: The Swan
Direction: Wes Anderson
Year: 2023
Gender: thriller
Note: 10