RED DOG

Australia, 2011, 100 minutes. Colour.
Josh Lucas, Rachael Taylor, Keisha Castle- Hughes, Noah Taylor, Luke Ford, Bill Hunter, Arthur Angel, John Batchelor, Rohan Nichol, Loene Carmen.
Directed by Kriv Stenders.

There are two trailers for Red Dog, one a conventional trailer that indicates plot and characters and action, the other purports to be an audition of the dog by the director, with the dog being asked to do all kinds of faces and expressions for the film. The latter is definitely the one to watch before seeing Red Dog. You could feel the atmosphere all around the cinema as the audience warmed to seeing the dog (and their dog) on screen acting so cutely!

Actually, in the film, Red Dog is pretty endearing as well, even to non dog lovers.

This story has its origins in episodes in Western Australia in the 1970s. It was taken up by British novelist, Louis de Bernieres (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin) and became a best-seller.

A young truckie in the West comes upon an old dog on the highway. He brings it to the next pub where a vet tries to help it. The locals all turn up and what happens is they all reminisce, something like a wake for Red Dog, and the story is told in flashbacks as each of the characters puts in their two bob’s worth. This means that we build up the picture of the stray dog that was collected by the pub-owner and his wife, was taken up by the workers in the mines and on the waterfront and who settled down with an itinerant American with whom Red Dog bonded.

Red Dog was not a shaggy dog, but many of the reminiscences are certainly shaggy dog stories, no less entertaining for that. It also fulfils the adage that a dog is our best friend, man and woman.

The stories are funny but they are also sad, and the latter part of the film shows Red Dog and his fidelity to his master no matter what the cost.

Some young Australian actors as well as some veterans make up the cast from Rachael Taylor and Luke Ford to Bill Hunter, Noah Taylor and Loene Carmen. Keisha Castle Hughes is in it. And Josh Lucas is genial as the travelling American.

The photography brings the region to life (though much of it was filmed in South Australia) as well as the period. It is a folklore story – with the statue of the dog (1971-1979) at Dampier to enhance it.
1. An entertaining film? A dog story? A people story? Australian? The Outback?

2. The Aussie legend, the dog, the statue? The telling of the legend – and embellishing it?

3. The qualities of a dog film – the dogs, their appearance, their expressions, commands and obeying? Loyalty? The best friend? Dog sense and humans?

4. The location photography (South Australia for Western Australia), the coastal towns, the industry, the desert, Hamersley Iron, the workers, maintenance work, the freight trains, the digs for the workers, the pubs? The feel of the west?

5. The people, the explanation for their being there, the ethnic range, the drifters, the wanderers, the workers, the tough men, the women, battlers, Western Australian style?

6. The colour photography, bright, for a bright story, editing and pace, the score?

7. The opening with the young driver, the encounter with the dog, his stopping, going to the bar, hearing the threats of shooting, finding that Red Dog was dying, the vet? The pub owner and his wife? His listening to the story, the range of people in the pub and the various anecdotes? And a nice romantic ending for him?

8. The narrative as a yarn, shaggy dog stories, the range of people in the pub, the characters, at the bar, each contributing a narrative? The build-up of the story about Red Dog? His relationship with his master? The consequences? The big burly workers – and their softies approach to the dog?

9. Red Dog as building up community, people working together, sentiment, shared friendships? The search for Red Dog after his owner’s death?

10. The pub owner and his wife, driving, their hopes, the encounter with Red Dog, on the road, getting into the truck, breaking wind and his smell, trying to get rid of him, his not leaving them? At the bar, the years passing, the customers? The narrations and each storyteller’s involvement with the dog?

11. Red Dog, covered in dust, character, expressions, in the town, with all the people, as a pet?

12. The Italian and his story, always telling about life in Italy, good friends, Red Dog needing the vet, his driving Red Dog to the town, encountering the nurse, attracted, not proposing, going back and proposing, the marriage, family and children?

13. Peeto, tough, one of the blokes, his stories, minding the dog, his knitting and the dog exposing the knitting, infights?

14. Jocko, silent, his sad story about his wife and child, with the dog, eventually smiling?

15. Telling the story about the owner, his arrival, as a Yank in Western Australia, his affinity with the place and the people, his wary attitude towards the dog, Red Dog imposing himself, taking care of Red Dog, their adventures together? His staying two years, his meeting Nancy, the relationship, the plans, his death?

16. Nancy and her arrival, a woman amongst the men’s community, her work for Hamersley, her reactions, her being accepted, her encountering the dog, the owner, the dance, the relationship, hopes for the future, at work and the news of his death?

17. Red Dog and his grief, behaviour, leaving the town, the legend of his wandering, overseas in Japan, his odyssey?

18. Red Dog’s return, the reaction of the town, at his owner’s grave, his death?

19. The film and the story of Australian community, their gathering together to search for him when he was lost, banding together – and grief at his death?

20. The statue and the memorial of the legend?