The Power Of The Dog-Review
Darkness of Monsters Among Us
After watching the Power of the Dog, I felt vindicated by spending over two hours watching a movie with brilliant directing by Jane Campion and fabulous cinematography, but an excruciatingly slow moving plot.
This film has 12 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and the American Film Institute named it one of the best films of 2021.
Like many Oscar contenders, this movie took a long while to get to simmer, with the last 15 minutes of the movie on full boil. The first 30 minutes of the movie consisted of scenes of Cumberbatch either smoking a cigarette or walking around the ranch cowbow-style.
I rarely do a lot of research before seeing a movie, as I want to judge it on its own merits of giving backstory, moving plot forward and characterizations. I don’t like to know where it’s going before it begins. Sometimes this leaves me confused as the story may be hard to follow, especially those told with flashbacks and memories. I believe each adaptation should stand on its own, without having to read the book first, and should be judged accordingly.
This story of isolation, jealousy and torment is not difficult to follow. It just takes an incredibly long time to get there.
As I watched The Power of the Dog, I wondered why Benedict Cumberbatch was selected for this role? I’ve seen his androgenous versions of Sherlock (Sherlock), Khan (Star Trek Into Darkness), and cryptographer Alan Turing (The Imitation Game). Certainly, there would be other actors who more naturally would hit the mark as a manly ranchman. Of course, I suspected that was the point about why he was chosen for the role.
Cumberbatch’s acting, (other than the aforementioned cowboy-walking and smoking taking up 50 percent of the film), definitely puts him in Oscar contention. He is a tormented soul and he takes pleasure in tormenting other beings around him. We learn why he is tormented and through various scenes in the film, we explore the depths of his agony. Perhaps out of longing, boredom or self-hatred, his character enjoys sucking the joy out of everyone else’s lives.
See Cumberbatch’s thoughts on the role.(spoiler alert)
The character of Rose, is expertly brought alive by Oscar Contender for Best Actress Kirsten Dunst. We can feel her longing for youth and hope before her desperate search for the remaining dregs of alcohol. She is stuck in a box and can’t seem to find a way out. Blaming the monster may be too simple of an explanation for her despair.
Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Book of Psalms, Chapter 22.
Rose’s son Peter, played by Oscar’s Best Supporting Acting contender Kodi Smit-McPhee, is an intelligent and resourceful young man. He clearly can see the bigger picture and unconventional opportunities to rise above circumstances.
For insight into Peter’s characterization, see this article in the New York Times (spoiler alert).
George Burbank, played by Jesse Plemons fell short to me. Despite being mistreated by his brother, he is kind and mannerly. But why does he leave his new wife in a horrible situation for an extended time? Is that ever explained in the film? Why doesn’t he stand up for his new wife’s son and refuse to let his brother antagonize the new members of the family? How can he be so blind?
Still, none of this characterization gives creative license to the movie itself to the cruel stereotyping and bullying of gay men. Why does this film not rise above making gay people horrible people? We deserve more than this out of a movie in 2022. The audience deserves to see the humanity, not the hateful aggression in grooming his underage prey.
Instead of rising above and becoming a beautiful butterfly in movie themes, this movie’s dark turn crushes redemption. The Power of the Dog just reaffirms hateful stereotyping and self-loathing perpetuating gay people as monsters. Films should reflect us being better to our humanity.
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