Hanna, a modern tale written for spies

Thrillers have descended into a formula where you have a spy being hunted by some nameless intelligence agency. Hanna does not stray from this formula, yet the way Hanna’s story unfolds is simply breathtaking.

Hanna, played by Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones), trains with her father, played by Eric Bana (Funny People), for most of her young life in order to prepare for her confrontation with Marissa, played by Cate Blanchett (Robin Hood). Meanwhile, Blanchett, as the head of a covert intelligence agency, struggles to destroy Hanna and her father so that she can erase all evidence of a secret government project.

The story is nothing inspired. In addition, as the film cuts from Ronan’s to Bana’s and then to Blanchett’s perspective, it is easy for the audience to quickly lose track of the plot. As a result, it is hard to keep up as the story unravels. When the audience does at last discover Hanna’s origins, her clichéd back-story may disappoint.

The superb performances make up for the forgettable plot. Ronan proves she can be an exceptional actor without the crutch of dialogue. She remains silent for the majority of the film, yet conveys all of her feelings through her body language. Therefore, when she says the single line “adapt or die,” she conveys her character’s motivation, mindset and emotional state through her subtext so powerfully that anyone can relate to her character and simultaneously fear her.

Blanchett, the film’s antagonist, never attempts to steal the spotlight from the less-experienced Ronan but instead uses her performance to heighten the film’s sense of realism. Blanchett does not appear to be an all-powerful villain; instead she takes the role of the perfectionist struggling to cover up her greatest error. The scene where she brushes her teeth until her gums bleed conveys this mentality.

Alternatively, Bana, as Ronan’s ridged father, stands out so much that an entire movie could be built around him. When he confronts Blanchett and her henchmen in order to protect his daughter, he fights with a father’s passion rather than a spy’s coordination, thereby reinforcing the chemistry between Ronan and himself. Bana was born to play the role of the protective father.

Unfortunately, the fight sequences are strangely brief and not the film’s strongest aspect. Even so, because the fight sequences are realistically filmed, Ronan becomes intimidating despite appearing fragile.

The cinematography strengthens the leads’ performances. Each shot and angle emphasizes Ronan’s mind-set. When she is confused it moves erratically whereas when she finally understands herself the camera moves with pinpoint coordination. In doing so, the cinematographer makes every shot a way to characterize Hanna. Furthermore the camera will at times focus on the many different environments that surround Ronan; although it slows the film’s pacing the natural beauty of Hanna’s world adds some humanity to an otherwise cruel atmosphere.

On the other hand, the scenery creates a fantastical atmosphere, which causes the film to stand apart from other more generically filmed thrillers. The subtlety of the scenery establishes Hanna’s fairy tale-like presence.

By the same means as the camera movement, the musical score further stresses Hanna’s emotions. While the cinematography hypnotizes the eyes, the Chemical Brothers’ electric score charms the ears so that the audience is fully enthralled in the action. However, this unconventional score may distract viewers from the film as they will find themselves bombarded by loud and intense techno music.

In the end, Hanna is a character story rather than a typical thriller. Anyone can enjoy Hanna for its strong characters and beautiful artistic direction as long as they disregard the somewhat predictable plot.