THE HUNTSMAN
A man of constant sorrow — until a girl gives him hope
As Eric, a mercenary recruited by the queen to pluck Snow White’s still-beating heart from her body so she can devour it, the immense Chris Hemsworth looks almost as intimidating as when he’s suited up for his role as Thor, the Norse god of thunder, in The Avengers.
But one look at the despondent expression on his face and the drunken haze in his eyes reveals he is more troubled soul than superhero. “I had apprehension about doing another fantasy film,” says the 28-yearold Aussie. “But the huntsman is a real character with a real heart, an open wound. When I read the script, it caught me by surprise how grounded in reality he was. He is this incredibly flawed Western character, like something out of Unforgiven.”
But even though Eric’s attitude begins to change once he is exposed to the inner goodness possessed by Snow White, their alliance goes beyond romance — especially since she has feelings for her childhood friend who is a prince. “This is by no means two guys fighting over a girl,” he says. “The audience knows more about how they feel about each other than they do. She doesn’t need to find a man and be rescued.”
Why does a tough guy find salvation in assisting this mere slip of a girl to rise up and meet her destiny as a leader?
“He’s intrigued by Snow White’s naiveté,” Hemsworth says. “She’s been locked up in a tower and hasn’t been exposed to the horror in the world. She lacks cynicism. She clears his head and opens him up. Beneath all that bravado and drunkenness, she believes in him, and he is prepared to follow her in her selfless quest.”