"The Power Of The Dog" -- Movie Review

For the Centerpiece showing at The 59^th New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of, “The Power Of The Dog”, a western drama directed by Jane Campion and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst. 

Synopsis

When a man’s brother marries a widow, will his suspicions of both the woman and her son cause a rift in both their family and their business?

Story

In 1925, The Burbank brothers run a successful ranching business in Montana.  George (Jesse Plemons) assumes the more executive role of running things while Phil (Cumberbatch) is more hands-on, overseeing the day-to-day activities of the ranch hands.  While George is more forward-thinking, Phil yearns for the days of his youth when Bronco, their late mentor from years ago, was around.  After wrapping up their most recent cattle drive, George brings his men to a boarding house run by Rose (Dunst), a widow who has the help of her son Pete (Kodi Smit-McPhee).  Pete is studying to someday be a physician like his late father. 

When the ranchers arrive for dinner, Phil immediately picks up on the fact that Pete is the intelligent sensitive type and makes him a laughingstock in front of the ranch hands for Pete’s lack of traditional masculinity.  Rose is deeply upset by this and when George tries to console her, a bond develops; after a brief courtship, they eventually marry.  Phil is outraged by this, especially since Rose is brought to their ranch to live.  He believes that Rose is out for their money and will ultimately hurt George.  When Pete returns from boarding school to spend the summer on the ranch, tensions only continue to rise.    

After Pete eventually learns of a dark secret Phil has hidden from everyone, Phil suddenly tries to reach out to Pete and befriend him.  Pete, however, is skeptical of Phil’s sudden change of heart because he has seen how Phil treats Rose and is concerned that Phil is trying to sabotage Rose’s marriage to George.  Phil sets out to try to mentor Pete by teaching him things like roping and horseback riding in order to make a cowboy out of him.  Is Phil sincere in his seeking friendship from Pete or is he simply trying to gaslight Pete in the same way he has been trying to gaslight Rose?    

Review

Is all masculinity toxic?  Is toxic masculinity just in the realm of straight men?  This seems to be the theme of Jane Campion’s latest effort, which is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Savage.  Although it’s set in the west, it’s far from a typical western; although about ranchers, it’s not really your typical cowboy movie either.  Instead, it feels like something of a cross between “Brokeback Mountain” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” – both films deal to some extent with forbidden sexual desire but also “Streetcar” deals with the upending of an otherwise happy family life.      

The problem with “The Power Of The Dog” is that it’s a little too subtle for its own good.  For one thing, viewers of the film version might find themselves as a little lost unless they have either read the book before seeing the adaptation or at least researching it, especially in order to understand the ending.  In order to gain a greater understanding of its nuance, one must see the movie at least twice – it is for this reason that it might be better to watch it on Netflix rather than in the theater.  Also, while the meaning of the title is alluded to in the end, it turns out to be a biblical reference to a line in Psalm 22:20, so it’s necessary to understand its context in order to fully appreciate the meaning of the title. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with Campion and stars Cumberbatch and Dunst.  The director said that she watched quite a few westerns in order to prepare for this shoot.  For her, the movie is about yearning and what it feels like to be in love and that the character of Phil is dealing with grief over the loss of his friend.  Cumberbatch said that he viewed his character as feeling alienated and alone.  During the shoot, he remained in character the entire time and as such, didn’t talk to Dunst at all.  Cinematographer Ari Wegner was also present and she said that she spent about a year in preparation for shooting.