Hanna was ______!

Hanna, a 2011 movie directed by Joe Wright, is truly one of the most cinematically poetic movies of our generation. It is centered around a sweet looking sixteen year old girl, who has been trained her whole life, by her father, as a highly skilled assassin. The film follows Hanna’s journey to eliminate a single woman who has been after her since Hanna’s birth, and to afterwards make her way back to her father. Through the story, Hanna also has to deal with the fact that, although her skills are finely honed, she lacks both knowledge of social standards and actual experience with modern day technologies. The film goes through many suspenseful chase scenes that are neither cliche nor interminable, all while balancing both the merciless side of it’s ruthless protagonist and the idea that she is indeed a little girl.

Although Hanna is a particularly quiet main character, the writers did an excellent job making dialogue count. Through the progression of her journey, she meets a variety of characters whose voices are definitely heard, even if they don’t have much screen time. Each and every person has a nearly fully developed personality and motive. It is so refreshing to see ‘real people’ on screen. Many writers fail in making their characters honest enough to be almost touchable, but Hanna does this effortlessly. It makes the film more enjoyable to watch, easier to connect to, and quite refreshing.

The visual stimulation that comes along with watching this film is a true delight. Taking place on several different terrains, Hanna catches both the desolate beauty of the desert and the elegant simplicity of the tundra. There are several scenes that play with the lush look of deciduous forests. Even urban settings are given their fair-share of camera-angles and attention. The true treasure, however is that these backdrops only enhance the story itself. Snow looks white on its own, but it looks especially so when scarlet melts through the top layer of crystals. A forest is only that until you add a fairy-tale inspired house- suddenly it all looks so very enchanted. The creators of Hanna were artists in their own right, making each and every setting count. The symbolism, though, is where Hanna really shines. I continue to be in awe at every viewing. To be honest, going into any details about this will only be spoiler-ridden, and doing that could be catastrophic if you plan on seeing the movie. What I will say is, the credits roll, leaving you in holy wonder at the power that has just rolled into your eye sockets for one hundred and eleven solid minutes.

Five Assasins out of Five Assasins