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The Power of the Dog

E.T.Bass

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pitman
pitman

I knew very little about this film going in, so the unexpected homoerotic parts and other plot twists were a delightful surprise.  Highly recommended.

TumYum
TumYum

Saw it last night... very much a "Director's film" and I mean that in a very good way. I loved her "The Piano" and I would say I loved this film even more. Sure it was problematic in some ways, but I

purplekow
purplekow

If I ever was to do drag I think I would name myself Ann Thrax.  She looks like a lamb but she can be quite deadly.  One deep breath near her is more than intoxicating.   

Tygerscent Grand Master

+ Tygerscent

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On 9/3/2021 at 6:05 AM, E.T.Bass said:

The Power of the Dog got a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, according to the article in Variety.

 

benedict.jpg?resize=681,383 

 

Based on a novel written in the 1960's.  The story takes place on a ranch in Montana back in the 1920's.

I may read the novel before the movie is released.  Sounds good.  

 

If you watch the trailer or read reviews of the novel you'll know the story evokes homoerotic tension.  Cumberbatch plays an American rancher, and sounds like he's quite good in this movie.

  i recommend not watching the trailer or reading any reviews, to avoid too much unnecessary information.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cumberbatch was good here~ His movie presence is strong because his theater presence is stronger~ His blocking and eye movement translates onto the screen very well~ 

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Guest MikeThomas

Guest MikeThomas

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I thought POTD was tedious.  There is something about Cumberbatch I just don’t like, which is why I think he is overrated.  His American accent seemed phony to me.

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tassojunior Grand Master

+ tassojunior

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5 hours ago, Tygerscent said:

If that is the case, why do we even care about any of the other characters or Bronch Henry~ Phil could have just been a mean rancher guy who Peter eventually kills because Phil rapes his mother or something~ That would have made more sense~ 

 

5 hours ago, Tygerscent said:

Yes… I guess there could be that motive but, it’s not like Peter sets his mom up to marry into the Burbank family… he ran away during dinner and was a scent for a few scenes and whatever happened to the “friend” Peter had that he didn’t want to bring to the ranch for “a certain person” to meet~? Why was that I person t enough to omit from the editing room floor~ 
 Why didn’t Peter set up the dancing scene and picnic for his moms future husband~? 
 There’s not tying Phils death to some ulterior motive to take over the Burbank fortune~ Surely, “the old woman” or ranch hands or Indians would have fence posted them~ 

I assume many people are going to watch the new MacBeth even though they know the story already. There are plenty of times when the plot isn't as important as the acting, directing, scenery, etc. The story itself here is simple (but then you learn the little nuances are the main story). But even so it's the production that is important. And I don't think editing it down would have kept it epic-like which some of the subjects deserve. Brokeback Mountain and God's Own Country (my favorite) have the gay Phil/Bronco Henry story in the flesh but not the other themes/plots of who's good and evil. I haven't even figured out the Native American allegory.

I don't know if the book hints at Peter setting his mom up with the Burbanks; I haven't heard so. It does hint he killed his father. Phil's reaction to Peter snapping the rabbit's neck (pulling it's head off?) struck me as a person who thinks they're evil recognizing pure evil.

I watched The Piano by Jane Campion after this and it was super-impressed. Then I binged Top-of-the-Lake, which was evidently made for commercial tv and while the 1st season was very good, the 2nd lacked a lot and was a simple detective story.  

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Tygerscent Grand Master

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13 hours ago, tassojunior said:

 

I assume many people are going to watch the new MacBeth even though they know the story already. There are plenty of times when the plot isn't as important as the acting, directing, scenery, etc. The story itself here is simple (but then you learn the little nuances are the main story). But even so it's the production that is important. And I don't think editing it down would have kept it epic-like which some of the subjects deserve. Brokeback Mountain and God's Own Country (my favorite) have the gay Phil/Bronco Henry story in the flesh but not the other themes/plots of who's good and evil. I haven't even figured out the Native American allegory.

I don't know if the book hints at Peter setting his mom up with the Burbanks; I haven't heard so. It does hint he killed his father. Phil's reaction to Peter snapping the rabbit's neck (pulling it's head off?) struck me as a person who thinks they're evil recognizing pure evil.

I watched The Piano by Jane Campion after this and it was super-impressed. Then I binged Top-of-the-Lake, which was evidently made for commercial tv and while the 1st season was very good, the 2nd lacked a lot and was a simple detective story.  

So, kind of like the Impressionism of cinema where the point of departure is the subject(s), and the goal is to exhibit aspects of the process of cinema disregarding the characters or their purpose~ Campion’s cinema graphic masturbation for us to enjoy but, not intended to go to any deeper meaning with the implied points of gay identity, toxic masculinity, womens roles in relationships and overall value in society, class and social oppression etc~ Cubism without being the Guernica, Dali without being the Burning Giraffe… Van Gogh but with his ear~
 If the point is for Campion to flatter her self and director/production skills while diminishing the actors to “should be grateful guests” in her cinema graphic painting… It just seems like the ultimate act of narcissism and arrogance~

 Despite my own criticisms of the movie… I don’t think her intent was that basic~ She did give some importance to the characters, (enough to give them the appearance of being epic), and story enough to have us consider following the bread crumbs to some eventual end but, what starts as a single trail with crumbs, ends with a circus of many roads forward and crumbs along each potential venture~ It doesn’t seem to matter whether we continue on any of the paths, turn back or simply sit down and eat some of the crumbs for a bit of momentary satisfaction~ 

 It’s like the viewers journey and experience isn’t the point and neither is the characters journeys~ Maybe the focus is just suppose to be about Campion~ 

  

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Tygerscent Grand Master

+ Tygerscent

Posted
Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, tassojunior said:

 

I assume many people are going to watch the new MacBeth even though they know the story already. There are plenty of times when the plot isn't as important as the acting, directing, scenery, etc. The story itself here is simple (but then you learn the little nuances are the main story). But even so it's the production that is important. And I don't think editing it down would have kept it epic-like which some of the subjects deserve. Brokeback Mountain and God's Own Country (my favorite) have the gay Phil/Bronco Henry story in the flesh but not the other themes/plots of who's good and evil. I haven't even figured out the Native American allegory.

I don't know if the book hints at Peter setting his mom up with the Burbanks; I haven't heard so. It does hint he killed his father. Phil's reaction to Peter snapping the rabbit's neck (pulling it's head off?) struck me as a person who thinks they're evil recognizing pure evil.

I watched The Piano by Jane Campion after this and it was super-impressed. Then I binged Top-of-the-Lake, which was evidently made for commercial tv and while the 1st season was very good, the 2nd lacked a lot and was a simple detective story.  

Did you by any chance happen to see Dame Judy Dench in Macbeth~? David Ogden Stiers in King Lear~? Those are both examples of strong artists with strong artistic presentation but, never the less, their end product is the characters they play and their place in the story itself~ While there is so much about themselves there as they act, you forget it’s them and the story becomes the important moment~ The story’s are great and the acting makes us understand how and why~ This is what’s missing in POTD~ 

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Guest MikeThomas

Guest MikeThomas

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Posted

For those interested in how to play Shakespeare watch RSC’s “Playing Shakespeare” with John Barton.  See Dench, McKellen, Suchet and others from almost 40 years ago.

 

 

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tassojunior Grand Master

+ tassojunior

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the movie that keeps on giving.

Saw a piece yesterday that Dunst and Smit understood that Peter had a hand in the death of his father, something I understand is in the book but I saw no clue for in the movie. 

She and Smit-McPhee decided their characters “shared a little secret, that he had some involvement with his dad’s, my husband’s, death. 

I also didn't notice a reference early that she did not drink at all until her fights with the new brother-in-law Phil.

“There was a very specific moment in the film where I do take my first drink,” says Dunst, “and it wasn’t written in the story. At one point I told Jane [Campion] how important I thought it was to have that moment where she decides to drink, because it’s such a big deal that she hates alcohol so much at first, but it just becomes her way to cope.” (above link)

 

I imagine a few years down the road Peter will inherit the family banking fortune when his parents (or at least his step dad) meet an unfortunate death. Let's hope he never has siblings !

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purplekow Grand Master

+ purplekow

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Posted

I watched this between Christmas and New Year's. I expected summer weather when I finished it because it seemed like months.   Even basic knowledge of anthrax would unveil and  telegraph the murder. The killing of the rabbits was hardly subtle foreshadowing though it did make it clear who was going to do the killing.  .  

I usually enjoy character driven movies or television shows, but the characters need to be driving somewhere.   This was more aimless than Heaven's Gate, another western with great cinematography and little or notplot.  I much preferred another character driven movie with a a western setting, A River Runs through It. That was  far more engrossing and had a shirtless young Brad Pitt, if you want beautiful scenery, there is none finer.  .   

So, the Power of the dog gets one Watt? is all the fuss about.  

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tassojunior Grand Master

+ tassojunior

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I think Jane Campion is a master director. The Piano is ageless perfection and the the first season of Top of the Lake is wonderful. As people stream at home, movies are getting longer no doubt. While in the past shorter films made more cash flow in theaters possible, online longer stuff provides more product. But Campion's products are 90% psychological and 10% plot. 

What I don't understand about the SAG nominations is that they nominated all the actors for their categories, Campion for director, screenwriting, etc etc but then failed to nominate the movie for best movie while they nominated some 2nd tier movies for best (I haven't seen Drive My Car or Belfast yet). 

I'm amazed that Cumberbatch isn't favored over WIll Smith or that Will Smith is even nominated. Especially with Cumberbatch's outstanding performances in The Courier and the Electrical Life of Louis Wain. Cumberbatch and Jeremy Strong, both method actors, seem to clearly be our two top actors now. 

 

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