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etflix production The Power of the Dog – which centres on the homoerotic relationship between a sexist rancher and his step-nephew – has already been compared to Brokeback Mountain and is rumoured to be the frontrunner for the Academy Awards Best Picture, Best Actor (Dominic Cumberbatch, Best Supporting actor: Kodi SmitMcPhee, Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst, Best Music, Cinematography and more. But is it worth the accolades? One critic said that this film is “one of the darkest and most powerful character studies and revenge westerns” but admits that it “takes a lot of patience because it’s pensive, quiet, thoughtful, and ultimately devastating.” Jane Campion is at her very best as director - some of the images are astonishing and the deliberate pacing and attention to detail help build the tension around this story of wealthy ranchers in the American West circa 1925 and the mother and son who come between two brothers. Benedict Cumberbatch is outstanding playing against type as the brooding, angry rancher, Phil, who has dark secrets and anger issues. The story needs to be experienced to be appreciated, so don’t read plot synopses. There’s more phallic imagery in this film than in a Robert Mapplethorpe retrospective and D.H. Lawrence would appreciate the homoerotic undercurrents that run throughout the film. This is a story about revenge, repression, and rage. Not to be missed. It may be a bit slow and talky for most film-goers who have been numbed out by the mindless junk and other Netflix checkyour-brains-at-the-door films, but anyone who likes cinema as high art should see this. Others have commented that the film is “a great movie, creating and holding a consistent tone of conflict, mystery, and stark
beauty.” With a “plot is fatal but unpredictable; the Montana setting (actually New Zealand) invades and finally dominates the story; the score is one of the best movie scores in years; and the acting is impeccable.” Adding that Kirsten Dunst is the surprise giving “a spare, entirely convincing performance as a good woman overwhelmed by her brother-in-law’s deep hatred.” In an interesting opposite take, with somewhat harsh criticism, another critic wrote, “I started to watch this film last night, but I decided that life is too short to finish watching a film that I was unable to connect to. Cumberbatch (Phil) was just a man who for some odd reason liked to be filthy dirty most of the time. I had to wonder why his fastidious brother shared the same bed in that huge house. My mind was beginning to wander; why were there so many ranch hands who didn’t seem to do much work, they frolicked in the river, put up little tents, tormented young Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), the rather effeminate son of the drunken Rose, (Kirsten Dunst) and I didn’t see many cows, I thought Montana / New Zealand was overrun with them? The film was so dreary that I decided to go to bed.” The following day he picked up where he left off. “I won’t give any spoilers, only to say I felt sorry for Dr. Peters patients, one of the best endings I’ve seen. It’s a pity the film seemed to have chunks missing all the way through. The musical score was awful like a class of 5 year olds playing various instruments. I nearly turned the sound off because it was very much like the old silent films, the over acting said it all!” The best suggestion after having struggled through the film was: “Re shoot the first 2 hours of the film, leave the brilliant, shocking ending and … only then, it would be a winner.”
POWER OF THE DOG ... THE NEW BROKEBACK? Mag 54
