THE POWER OF THE DOG

New Zealand/Australia/UK, 2021, 127 minutes, Colour.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Thomasin McKenzie, Genevieve Lemon, Keith Carradine, Frances Conroy, Peter Carroll, Adam Beach.

Directed by Jane Campion.

The title, from Wikipedia: Version, the phrase ‘power of the dog’  occurs in the 20^th verse of the 22^nd Psalm ‘Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog’. This bitter poem was quoted by Christ himself on the Cross, and begins  ‘ My God, my God , look upon me; why hast thou forsaken me and are too far from my health, and from the words of my complaint. O my God, I cry in the daytime. But thou hearest not: and in the night-season also I take no rest’. This is the King James’ Version translation. The Jerusalem Bible translates: the paw of the dog. In the film, it is found in the rite of burial.

Like Jane Campion’s 1993 award-winning The Piano, The Power of the Dog was filmed in her native New Zealand. Here it is standing in for Montana, the changing frontier, cattle breeding and sales, 1925. While most audiences will see the film through Netflix, the recommendation is that, even just for the magnificent mountain scenery, it should be seen in the cinema. And, already at the time of release, it has won awards, including the Director award for Jane Campion at the Venice film Festival.

As with The Piano, and the frontier locations, this is a drama of intense characters, intense interactions. And the film has a powerful cast to intensify the performances, Benedict Cumberbatch as Philip, working with the cattle and the ranch hands, giving up on education though intelligent, private but not afraid of brutal interventions in others’ lives. By contrast, Jesse Plemons is George, coat and tie, loyal to parents, the business manager of the ranch and estate. Philip is continually mocking George is fatty. Yet, George perseveres.

So, already, this is a drama of a rival brothers – and with some references, especially during a later visit, to the parents.

When everyone comes to town for cattle sales, they board with a landlady, Rose (Kirsten Dunst), a widow, who relies on her rather bookish son, Peter (Kodi Smit McPhee) who helps serving at table and, with his slender build and somewhat effeminate manner, is targeted by Philip. And this will have quite some repercussions as the film goes on, Peter returning from college, Philip taunting him and teaching him to ride, making him a lassoo from the rope from the hides, and some revelations about the cowboy, Bronco Henry, that mentored Philip when he was young and whom he continually quotes.

George and Rose marry and return to the ranch, George achieving some happiness with a wife and stepson, able to stand against his brother. But, Rose is always edgy around Philip, drinking secretly, and, again a piano for Jane Campion, with Rose breaking down and unable to play when she is to perform for the visiting Governor (Keith Carradine) and his wife.

While there is action with the cattle, scenes of Philip and the cow hands, the taunting of Peter, drives through the mountainous countryside, basically, this is an interiors drama, a cry for some kind of delivery and freedom, each character wanting release from the power of their dog.s

1. The title? From the rite of burial? Psalm 22:20 (spoken by Christ on the cross)? And the vision of the dog by Philip, by Peter, on the mountainside?
2. The work of Jane Campion, an American story, 20^th century West, filming in New Zealand and the New Zealand terrain?
3. The sweeping photography, the mountains and landscapes, views of the mountains, within the mountains, the drive through? The town, saloon, boardinghouse? The city, the railway station, city offices? The homestead, the main house, the sheds? And Philip’s shed out in the bush? Atmosphere? The musical score?
4. Use of chapters, focus on particular characters, interactions? Continuity?
5. Montana, 1925, the original novel by Thomas Savage, perspectives, character studies? The American frontier?
6. The Burbank family, Philip and George, 25 years working on the ranch, the cattle, the close-ups of the cattle sequences, the drives, into town? Philip, his background, studies, giving them up, the influence of Bronco Henry, a loner, relationships with the men, in command, the bond with George, sharing the room together, sharing everything, George and the ownership, yet Philip mocking him as Fatso? The initial tension?
7. The cattle drive, in town, the saloon, the saloon women, the men and their presence? The contrast with the boardinghouse, Rose and Peter working, cooking, the meal, Peter and his manner, towel over his arm, his manner, the artificial flowers, his comments, his being mocked? Upset? Rose, upset, weeping? George, the attraction to Rose, wanting to settle the account, comforting her? Philip and his contempt for this?
8. George, as a character, formally dressed, the manager, decisions, interactions with Phil, bypassing him? Courting Rose? Marrying her and announcing it? Moving her in, her being a widow, Peter going to his father’s grave, the news of his drinking, hanging himself, Peter discovering his body? Rose and her awkwardness in the beginning mansion, her room, locking it, adjacent to fill? In the kitchen, awkwardness with the housekeeper and the maid? Managing? George and the installing of the piano? Her playing, awkward, Phil and his taunts, playing the melody on his guitar? The repercussions for the governor’s visit, her awkwardness, unable to play?
9. Rose, to drink? Hiding the drink, Phil seeing her in the alley?
10. The continuing of the ordinary work on the ranch, the work with the cattle, castration, hides and their tendering? The making of ropes?
11. Phil, going through the passage with the trees, covering himself with mud, the swimming? Is not washing, George and his warning about the stink and the governor’s visit? Phil returning to the hut, the memory of Bronco Henry? Bronco Henry and his masculine philosophy
12. Peter, the return from college, studying medicine? With his mother, the conversations? The men and their taunts? His walking through the room, their mockery?
13. Phil, his change of heart, teaching Peter how to ride, on the horse, opening the gate, Peter falling, getting back on? Peter and his continued daring, going up the mountain, the dangerous run, is accomplishing it, seeing the dead cattle? His mother warning him against Phil?
14. Peter, discovering the hut, Phil and his swimming, nudity, the magazines, physical culture? The intimations of homoerotic behaviour? Phil and his attitudes? The story of his being saved by Bronco Henry, lying together, Peter’s comments? Sexual orientations?
15. The visit of the governor, George driving to the station, the parents arriving? The meeting, Rose and her awkwardness, Phil and his late arrival and performance, the meal, the conversation, Rose and the piano?
16. The visit of the Indians, Rose giving them all the hides?
17. Phil, the rope and lassoo, no hides, Peter giving him the strips from the hide that he took?
18. Phil, becoming ill, George driving him to the doctor?
19. The suddenness of Phil’s death, possibility of anthrax poisoning, lying in state, the burial? The sequence offering a retrospective of Phil’s life, the contradictions in his personality, behaviour? (The question of Peter’s responsibility for feels death – and a motive, for his mother – as he watches her and George embrace at the end of the film?)
20. The aftermath, Peter and the ritual for burial, discovering the quotation about the power of the dog?
21. An American story, frontiers in the early 20^th century, Montana, the cattle ranches, affluence, workers? Lifestyles? Relationships?