There is a scene, in which the movie's main character Ania tenderly cuddles with a full-grown, dangerous wolf. When the movie had finished, I thought again about that scene. There was no CGI involved. Everything, that happened, was real. A woman hugged a predator, who could kill her in an instant. On camera. It was then, that I fully realized, that I have just watched a very special, unique movie, one that would not even be remotely possible in the safeguarded environment of Hollywood filmmaking.
That scene alone shows the incredible work, that has been put into this movie. From the animal trainers, who took care of the two wolves, that were involved in the production (and are fully credited at the end of the movie). From writer and director Nicolette Krebitz, who created moments, you probably haven't seen in a movie before; and maybe won't ever see again. And, of course, from actress Lilith Stangenberg, who delivers a performance, that defies all standards. She is fearless, she is vulnerable, she is krass. She alone carries this movie on her shoulders like it was the easiest thing to her, and creates a female character, that has no comparison in film history.
We meet the mousy front desk girl Ania, played by Stangenberg, who is supposed to work as an IT-technician in a small clothing company. Her main job, though, is to serve coffee to her boss and to be pushed around by her colleagues. She lives a pretty uninteresting and dull life in a high-rise apartment at the outskirts of an unspecified big town (maybe Berlin?). The only person, she really seems to have feelings for, is her grandpa, who is in need of care. Her life changes dramatically, when she encounters a wolf in a city park near her apartment. She becomes completely obsessed with the animal, up to a point, that she manages to bring the wolf into her flat. The longer Ania lives together with the wild animal, the more she withdraws herself from the civilized world.
The relationship between men and wolves is a constant theme in human history, from the story of Romulus and Remus to Red Riding Hood and modern werewolf horror-stories. There is a deep fascination coming from these creatures, who can be deadly animals and trustworthy companions at the same time. Nicolette Krebitz explores this tension and makes it very clear, that a wolf is not just a bigger dog. It is a dangerous predator, who can kill people easily, and we feel that in every scene. But it is not only the physical threat, that the wolf brings to Anias life. He changes her personality dramatically: Being without any drive or motivation, when we first meet her, the wolf brings out animalistic instincts and appetites in Ania, who ends up behaving like a dog in heat; and the males around her sure want to copulate.
Sexuality is an ongoing theme in the film, and the camera often focuses almost voyeuristically on the lower body parts of Lilith Stangenberg/Ania. This leads to some very explicit scenes, which might make some viewers turn their heads. Personally, I didn't find anything in this movie as repulsive as for example Nicolas Winding Refns equally drastic "The Neon Demon". The only criticism I have is, that I sometimes would have wished for a bit more of visual panache. With a more cinematic look, "Wild" maybe would have found greater recognition and appeal.
Still, "Wild" is one of the bravest German movies I have seen in a long time. Instead of rehashing known recipes from Hollywood for the German market, like a certain Til Schweiger does constantly, it is a unique film in style and storytelling. It will definitely stay with its viewers for quite some time.
