The Hawk is Dying
Encyclopedia
The Hawk Is Dying is a 2006 film
based on the book by Harry Crews
. It was accepted to the 2006 Director's Fortnight Competition at the Cannes Film Festival
. It premiered at Cinema Village in New York City
on March 30, 2007.
auto upholsterer George Gattling, played by Paul Giamatti
, is a man out of place in the world and out of place in his own skin.
Gattling attempts to transcend his mundane life by training a wild red-tailed hawk
. He owns University Custom Auto Shop and is the disgruntled patriarch of his family: his divorced sister, Precious, and her 20-year-old autistic
son, Fred. He's also the unwitting case study
of a "life-gone-wrong" for Betty, a young psychology student who works in the auto shop.
Gattling dreams of capturing and training hawks. It is an ancient art that requires precision (you only have a few days to succeed) and extremes (only through practically killing yourself and the bird are you brought together). It is the obsession he shares with Fred. In the quiet pre-dawn tracking of the birds, Gattling feels like a man temporarily freed from the absurdity of civilized life.
After several years of failed attempts, George and his nephew Fred capture the most magnificent bird they have ever seen—the red-tailed hawk. That night, Fred dies in a freak accident, drowning in his water bed. Grief-stricken, George sees his only chance to survive tied together with this bird. He becomes determined to tame her — meaning that he will not eat or sleep, nor will she, until it's all over. At his weakest moment, he locks himself into a battle of wills with the only creature on earth that would rather die than succumb. To the rest of the world, it appears George has gone mad; the closer he gets to achieving success, the crazier his family thinks he's become. Betty is the only one who realizes that George must take himself to the bottom to truly be saved. She watches as George is released into a world where the senses are awakened and emotions are unchecked—a world where one can see and feel the "blood of things".
(Buteo jamaicensis). This is a common species in Florida. The bird used in the film is actually an African species in the same genus, Buteo augur, known as the Jackal Buzzard
or African Auger Hawk. The hawk in the film was trained by Tony Suffredini of the company Avian Entertainment.
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
based on the book by Harry Crews
Harry Crews
Harry Crews is an American novelist, playwright, short story writer and essayist. He was born in Bacon County, Georgia in 1935 and served in the Marines during the Korean War. He attended the University of Florida on the GI Bill, but dropped out to travel...
. It was accepted to the 2006 Director's Fortnight Competition at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. It premiered at Cinema Village in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on March 30, 2007.
Synopsis
A Gainesville, FloridaGainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
auto upholsterer George Gattling, played by Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
, is a man out of place in the world and out of place in his own skin.
Gattling attempts to transcend his mundane life by training a wild red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
. He owns University Custom Auto Shop and is the disgruntled patriarch of his family: his divorced sister, Precious, and her 20-year-old autistic
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
son, Fred. He's also the unwitting case study
Case study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
of a "life-gone-wrong" for Betty, a young psychology student who works in the auto shop.
Gattling dreams of capturing and training hawks. It is an ancient art that requires precision (you only have a few days to succeed) and extremes (only through practically killing yourself and the bird are you brought together). It is the obsession he shares with Fred. In the quiet pre-dawn tracking of the birds, Gattling feels like a man temporarily freed from the absurdity of civilized life.
After several years of failed attempts, George and his nephew Fred capture the most magnificent bird they have ever seen—the red-tailed hawk. That night, Fred dies in a freak accident, drowning in his water bed. Grief-stricken, George sees his only chance to survive tied together with this bird. He becomes determined to tame her — meaning that he will not eat or sleep, nor will she, until it's all over. At his weakest moment, he locks himself into a battle of wills with the only creature on earth that would rather die than succumb. To the rest of the world, it appears George has gone mad; the closer he gets to achieving success, the crazier his family thinks he's become. Betty is the only one who realizes that George must take himself to the bottom to truly be saved. She watches as George is released into a world where the senses are awakened and emotions are unchecked—a world where one can see and feel the "blood of things".
The Hawk
The hawk Gattling captures in the story is a Red-Tailed HawkRed-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
(Buteo jamaicensis). This is a common species in Florida. The bird used in the film is actually an African species in the same genus, Buteo augur, known as the Jackal Buzzard
Jackal Buzzard
The Jackal Buzzard is a 45–55 cm long African bird of prey. The taxonomy on this species is confusing, with some taxonomists considering this species, the Archer's Buzzard, and the Augur Buzzard to be the same superspecies. Many taxonomists consider them all to be distinct, having different...
or African Auger Hawk. The hawk in the film was trained by Tony Suffredini of the company Avian Entertainment.