BAXTER
France, 1989, 82 minutes, Colour.
Voice of: Maxime Leroux. Lise, Delamare, Jean Mercure.
Directed by Jerome Boivin.
Baxter is a bull-terrier. This is a dog’s story – and an off-beat French fable it is.
Baxter’s voice-over tells us what it is like to be a dog (with no feelings of humanity, but wanting to be disciplined and trained). The audience sees humans from Baxter’s severe canine point of view – an old lady who is afraid of him, a young married couple who are affectionate (and their baby whom Baxter resents), and an alarmingly odd 10-year-old neo-Nazi boy with whom Baxter feels at home, until…
If this sounds offbeat, it is. The French have discovered the humane and the beast and the beast in the human. Done with verve and style – the shadow side of our alleged best friend.
1. A dog’s life? A French version?
2. The idea, the dog’s perspective, dogs and humans, the dog stories? Baxter’s voice, Intonation, vocabulary, observations?
3. The French setting? The structure with chapters indicating Baxter’s attitudes in progress? From the end? The niece, the gift of the dog to her aunt? The aunt’s story? Baxter going to the couple, the experience with the baby? Going to the neighbouring family, the Neo- Nazi boy? The narrative?
4. Baxter, his appearance, voice, tone, narrating, feelings? Canine feelings, instincts, the touch of destruction, liking discipline and obedience? Being given as a gift, life, wariness about the woman, in the house, destroying her clothes, the aunt and her talking to relations and neighbours, the kindly man, a friend? Baxter as a pet, his style, causing trouble, yet his intentions, friendship, her death? His trying to understand, his appreciation?
5. Across the street, the pregnant woman, pleasant, his going to live with them, not understanding her pregnancy, her suspicions, the birth of the child, seen as a creature, his descriptions, dislike? Baxter’s puzzle about humanity? Wanting to get rid of the baby, the plan for the pool, the rescue of the baby, the parents being upset? The gift to the boy?
6. The boy, with his parents, in his room, poring over the books about Hitler and Eva Braun? The dogs? The gift? His treatment of Baxter, Baxter wanting some human similar to himself, the meanness? The boy and his school friend, their talk, on the bus, mowing lawns, getting money, the teacher, play? The girl, the angry father, training the dogs, her attraction to the boy? Baxter getting out, impregnating the dog, the father’s anger? The puppies? His instinct about the puppies, about the boy, suspicions of the boy and his intention to destroy the puppies? The boy and his urging Baxter on to kill his friend, Baxter not wanting to kill, not having this mean instinct? The battering of the puppies? Baxter and his being battered to death?
7. The puppies, starting the cycle again, the voice of the puppies and its perspective?
8. The comparisons in the behaviour between dogs and humans? Good and bad? The treatment dogs? Canine victims, human victims? Human nature and nature?
