2021 – The Power of the Dog
When I sat down to watch this movie, I really didn’t know what to expect, other than a Western. It was certainly that, but it was very complex, transcending the Western genre. The setting just happened to be in a Montana cattle herding community in the mid-1920s. But I can almost see how the story might have easily been translated to just about any other time and place, if not for the ending. The climax of the film was pretty specific to the setting.
The narrative had several different themes. One explored the extremes a son would go to in order to protect his mother. Another examined homosexuals in a typically straight and macho environment. There were themes of desire, regret, love, and understanding. The problem, is that for the first half of the movie, it was difficult to tell what those themes were. Director Jane Campion did a pretty good job, taking her time in that first half, to establish characters, and letting us get to know them on more than just a surface level.
Benedict Cumberbatch played Phil Burbank, a college educated man who chose to live the rough and uncouth life of a cattle rancher. He is a hard man who established his dominance over everyone around him by being mean and constantly putting people down. Even his own brother, George, played by Jesse Plemons, is a victim of Phil’s acerbic demeanor. He calls George Fatso, a nickname that the gentle and kind-hearted George just accepts.
George falls in love with the lovely widow, Rose, played by Kirsten Dunst. Rose’s almost comically effeminate son, Peter, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, is a medical student who is clearly gay. His very presence seems to violently irritate Phil. When George marries Rose in secret, and brings her to be the lady of the Burbank homestead, Phil believes she is a gold-digger who is only after the Burbank family’s money. He refuses to accept her as his sister-in-law, and makes her feel like an unwanted interloper in her own house. His treatment of her drives her to become a terrible alcoholic, the worst kept secret at the ranch.
But later on, we discover that Phil, himself, is a closeted homosexual, who once had an undefined, yet possibly physical relationship with his old mentor, Bronco Henry. After Peter accidentally discovers Phil’s secret, Phil changes his attitude toward the boy, and begins to mentor Peter in how to be a rancher, and the two become strange friends, something which horrifies Rose. Unable to get away from Phil’s abrasive attentions, she sinks deeper into her self-destructive addiction. That much story brings us to nearly two thirds of the way through the film. I was following the story, but I didn’t really understand what the point of the narrative was. I didn’t get it. I was trying to figure out why this movie received so much attention. Why did it receive eleven nomination at the Academy Awards? Yes, the acting was good, but what was it about the story that earned a Best Picture nod? I mean, the characters were pretty well fleshed-out but the plot just wasn’t very gripping, and the slightly slow pace of the film didn’t help. But then the last part of the movie brought it all together, and the power of the story was revealed.
So here’s the big spoiler. It is a question I have to ask because when the movie was over, I spent some time thinking about it. And when I came up with the answer, it all made sense. It made the story good, and the drama great. The question was, did Peter purposefully murder Phil, and the answer is a resounding yes. In order to save his mother from the dangerous Phil, Peter, being a medical student, knowingly exposed Phil to anthrax, despite the man’s obviously growing affection for him. It was a strange ending to the movie that turned out to be powerful, showing Peter as a much stronger character than he had been portrayed to be. He manipulated Phil, allowing him to believe in a bond made out of their shared sexualities, and then murdered him for driving his mother to drink. And after Phil’s death, it is shown that Rose sobered up. The fact that Peter only handled the lasso while wearing rubber gloves proved that he knew what he had done. Watch the movie and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
The ending surprised me. I wasn’t expecting murder, but like I said, it made complete sense, and elevated the film from vaguely bland and slightly confusing, to deep and complex. And the acting from the ensemble cast was fantastic. Of course Cumberbatch was incredible, but then, he pretty much always is. I was actually really impressed with Plemons and Dunst, as well. Dunst has come a long way since the first time I ever saw her on film, in Interview With a Vampire. But Plemons, who I have only seen in a few films, and always in supporting roles, was perfectly cast, and he did a great job.
As I mentioned, before watching The Power of the Dog, I had no idea what the movie was about. But now, it is a movie I’m glad I watched. It is a movie that was very well made, and I’m surprised that out of its eleven Oscar nominations, it only took home one. That was the Best Director award for Jane Campion. It was a well-deserved Oscar, but honestly, I’m surprised it didn’t win for Best Cinematography or Best Score. Both were stunning.