Watched in the cinema (69th visit in 2022)

In recent years, people's urge to live a life in untouched nature has grown steadily. Even before the Corona pandemic, which awakened the need to escape in many, more and more longed to leave everything behind and live somewhere very simple, far away from the constraints of civilisation. The fact that this is not particularly realistic in most cases does not detract from the trend. Delia Owens also benefited from these longings when she published her first novel, "Where The Crawdads Sing", in 2018 at the age of almost 70. The book was on the bestseller lists for months. To date, it has sold around 15 million copies. Naturally, this success had to be exploited elsewhere. And indeed, the film adaptation of the same name is quite profitable, although it did without the really big stars and the budget remained manageable.

The setting probably has a lot to do with this. Director Olivia Newman stages the swamps as an idyllic retreat where our heroine can be whoever she wants. The occasional excursions into the "real" world often end in disappointment, partly because Kya is considered an outsider there. "Where The Crawdads Sing" therefore also tells the story of how people deal with people who are different. Whereby Kya is not even really different. There is no scene in which it actually becomes clear what is wrong with her. The nickname Marschmädchen has more in common with children's stories about strange old women who are surely witches. Just because they like to keep to themselves. Just as the protagonist prefers solitude. That's not only considered suspicious today, when our private lives have to be broadcast online. Even in the 1960s - the main action takes place in 1965 - people living for themselves are a cause for suspicion.
Interesting genre mix with thin content

How Kya has managed to live alone for so long is never really made clear. In any case, there are many things about the story that are better left unquestioned. The film is not meant for viewers who approach what is shown rationally. Instead, the drama tries harder to serve the emotional side, for example in the young woman's romances. What is unusual is how "Where The Crawdads Sing" combines this drama with coming-of-age elements and a crime story. The search for truth behind Chase's death becomes an occasion to deal with the past. As a pure crime thriller, the film is not all that interesting. The plot is so focused on Kya that there is no room for alternative explanations. The resolution of the case is not really one.

The mix of genres, along with the charming images, is definitely a reason to give the film a look. The portrayal of Daisy Edgar-Jones as a sensitive yet self-determined recluse is another. So while there is a lot in the trappings that give you an idea of why the novel became such a success, the story of "Where The Crawdads Sing" is rather featureless. Of course, one may find the feminist traits sympathetic, or even how an outsider can hold her own. But that alone is not a full-fledged substitute, especially since the character drawing is not the most ambitious either. Owens, who was active as a zoologist and environmentalist, is clearly more interested in the setting than in the people who live in it.