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The Rat Catcher review: Wes Anderson cunningly adapts Roald Dahl short story
The Rat Catcher review: Wes Anderson doesn't trade off easy answers in adapting this Roald Dahl story, starring Ralph Fiennes, Richard Ayoade and Rupert Friend.
In the search for rats, who did we catch? Where are the rats? Why are they invisible? Some questions are best left unanswered in The Rat Catcher, which marks director Wes Anderson's third installment in a series of short films based on Roald Dahl stories for Netflix. Wonderfully story boarded, and clocking in just under 17 minutes, The Rat Catcher is an unsettling gem of a film, crafted by a director at full control of his craft. (Also read: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar review: Wes Anderson at his delightful best)
The premise
Ralph Fiennes gives a deliciously sinister performance as a professional rodent killer who is sent by the Health Office to rid a local hayrick of its rat infestation. He also has a cameo appearance as the author himself, following his turns in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and The Swan. Here, a reporter (Richard Ayoade, doing most of the verbal weightlifting), and a mechanic (Rupert Friend), stand beside to note how the rat catcher goes about his ways. But a strategic trick doesn't work- the rats do not eat the poisoned oats that are kept beside the haystack.
The Rat Catcher is a gorgeous example of a filmmaker's vision blending boldly with the author's open-ended twists. Robert Yeoman's gorgeous cinematography complements this fantastical world with aplomb. The rest is secured in Anderson's hands, where the story takes on a sinister turn without resolving to easy answers. Notehow the rat catcher's physical appearance resembles exactly like a rat because he thinks that in order to catch them it is crucial to act like them. The undercurrent of pathos lies in how the rat catcher is basically a pariah, and an outcast who can never bridge the socio-economic barrier of his circumstances. He has been hunting for rats for so long that he himself as become like them, forced to seek hiding.
Final thoughts
Anderson is also able to integrate stop-motion animation technique to poignant effect late in the film. The silent, stoic observation he allows for the tone to suddenly shift in the later half of this short is an immediate shock, which works as a primary reminder of how we are always kept at arm's length by a director who allows his audience to be patient, and ask the right questions. The dialogues are as razor-sharp as ever, cue for instance: "Rat Catcher: This ain’t a sewer job, is it?/Mechanic: No, it’s not a sewer job./Rat Catcher: Tricky thing, sewer jobs./Mechanic: Really? I shouldn’t think so./Rat Catcher: Oh you shouldn’t, should you?"
The Rat Catcher works like a dark magic trick, beautifully nourished with Anderson's trademark symmetrical frames and minimalist mise-en-scène. At the end, the Rat Catcher leaves rather abruptly, without making any further plans. He has disgusted both the reporter and the mechanic. They had to draw the line somewhere. The haystack remains just as before.
