Frederick Lau plays the neanderthal-like drifter and Vicky Krieps is the wild-feminine in Govinda Van Maele's movie that metaphorically explores the moment at which a pure being becomes simultaneously spoiled-to-his-soul, yet capable of succeeding in "society." Much in Europe lately has been made of neanderthals being a common genetic precursor in Europeans, and that they are considered to have been kinder, simpler, and more egalitarian than the human beings that overtook them. Lau's drifter has a built up brow and heavy features of a being not at ease with the modern world, and as he becomes domesticated, his wide nose, heavy brow, and thick hair diminish. Even though he seems to feel the scenery viscerally, and has an innate sense of decency (as when he stops the farmers from brutally punishing the children), he's also possessive of his lover, and incapable of clear communication. As he (who ends up being a robber--someone unable to succeed with integrity at urban life) becomes more affected by and accepted by the villagers around him, he simultaneously becomes less himself: less perceptive, more brutal, less sensitive to his surroundings, which is expressed in a sexually violent scene with Krieps. The treasure of this movie is that it is a metaphor for all that human beings trade in terms of authenticity for becoming part of society, especially one that has a brutal history. To become included, Lau's character not only gives up all that made him an instinctive, holosapient being, but ultimately, completely loses himself.
Review of Gutland
