The film belongs to that cycle of short movies made possible by Netflix’s acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company, with the rights to all of the British author’s works and the goal of recreating the complex and fantastical universe of the famous writer in film form. Cherished from a long ago by Wes Anderson, the project of this adaptation finally comes to life, in a skilful new formula for the streaming platform. After The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was presented at Venice International Film Festival 2023, Netflix has released the other three chapters recently: The Rat Catcher, Poison, and indeed The Swan. This group of short films is characterized by the Roald Dahl-esque tones, which everyone – children and adults alike – have read at least once and can rediscover here. They become essentially brief fairy tales for adults, tinged with the vibrant hues of Anderson’s direction. The director is faithful to the obsessions that made him famous: millimetric symmetry, breaking the fourth wall by addressing the audience directly, eccentric characters, theatrical settings, and that subtle ironic detachment that cannot ever conceal emotions. It can be said that this collection of little gems is one of Anderson’s most accomplished works since Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).
The Swan – the short film – is based on the eponymous story by the English author and is part of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, a collection published in 1977 and written in different period of his life. Aiming at a slightly older audience than the usual children novels he’s renowned for, the work is comprehensive of the following titles: “The Boy Who Talked With Animals”; “The Hitch Hicker”; “The Midenhall Treasure”; “The Swan”; “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”; “Lucky Break”; “A Piece of Cake”.
The literary father of this specific cinematic adaptation – The Swan – is a story which particularly stands out for its unexpected sweetness that truly warms the heart. The narrative, told by orchestrating the present and past time that accompany each other side by side in a bizarre and typically Andersonian fashion, revolves around the character of Peter Watson, portrayed both as an adult by Rupert Friend and as a young boy by the exceptionally talented Asa Jennings. Like an Aesop’s fable, this tale of violence quickly transforms into an ode to kindness and goodness, ultimately triumphing over everything, as well as cunning. The young bird watcher Peter, a bespectacled and frail boy, cleverly manages to overcome the malice of two small-town criminals who, after collecting birds killed for amusement, turn their malevolence towards Peter. First, he is tied to the train tracks, then used to retrieve the corpse of that marvellous swan killed by the shots of Ernie’s rifle, a birthday gift. And ultimately – the young boy becomes prey himself.
However, Peter does not lose heart. With courage and the power of his imagination, he literally manages to “fly” away, with the wings of the same creature he had tried to protect.
This story and film are a parable about kindness and courage, an ode to the indomitable spirits. A lesson to everyone: “Some people, when they have taken too much and been driven beyond the point of endurance, simply crumble, and collapse, and give up. There are others, however, thought they are not many, who will for some reasons, always be unconquerable”.
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