I watched Crystal Moselle’s 2015 film, The Wolfpack. It followed the lives of the Angulo family, who were confined to a New York City apartment by their paranoid patriarch, with movies as their only connection to the outside world. The main subjects of the film were six brothers, Bhagavan, Govinda, Jagadisa, Krsna, Mukunda, and Narayana. Their parents, Susanne and Oscar, and sister, Visnu, appeared briefly in the film.

The brothers would often perform elaborate re-enactments of their favourite films in their apartment, building their own props and costumes from objects found around the house. The most notable example was Mukunda’s Batman costume constructed from cereal boxes, yoga mats and masking tape.

The most interesting thing about The Wolfpack was how well adjusted the brothers were, despite their sheltered upbringing. While there were obviously some issues when they first started leaving the apartment; such as Mukunda wearing a Michael Myers mask on his first outing, which eventually raised suspicion from the shopkeepers and police; they were quickly able to adapt to their newfound freedom, and went out together, often dressed in suits and sunglasses – emulating Reservoir Dogs (1992), one of the brothers’ favourite films.

I also thought it was interesting – and possibly difficult – for Moselle to portray the Angulo family in a neutral light. Many other filmmakers would be more likely to set the children up as victims, but instead, they’re shown as intelligent individuals coming of age, and making the best of a bad situation. While Oscar’s violence, alcoholism and mental illness were mentioned, they were never examined in depth. Oscar attempted to defend himself in his interviews, saying that he was doing it for protection, but it was neither shown as accurate or disingenuous.

While there were many compelling scenes in The Wolfpack, the one that moved me the most was where Govinda moved out of home. His excitement of escaping from the apartment was very moving, and showing him looking out of his new window made a great contrast to looking out the window in the apartment. Another element I found effective was the juxtaposition of family home movies throughout the film, as it played as a contrast to many of the darker things that were said.

References:

The Wolfpack 2015, streaming video, Magnolia Pictures, New York City, viewed 7 November 2019, <https://rmit.kanopy.com/video/wolfpack>

Buckley, C 2015, ‘Brothers of ‘The Wolfpack’ Step Out of Their World’, The New York Times, 14 June, viewed 10 November 2019, <https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/movies/the-wolfpack-brothers-step-out-of-their-world.html>

Garcia-Vasquez, M 2015, ‘Talking to ‘The Wolfpack’ Brothers About DIY Designer Props’, Vice, 25 June, viewed 12 November 2019, <https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/3d5pp3/talking-to-the-wolfpack-brothers-about-diy-designer-props>