ROSE: What is it, George?
GEORGE: I just wanted to say how nice it is not to be alone.
Hello everyone! I've finally returned here the exact same way as I've started this blog, which is, dropping whatever I was doing and opening up my computer to start writing with or without reasonable motivation. It feels good to find the energy that drives me to write, delete, and try once again. At this point it would be a waste of space and energy to say how much I missed here, also trying to explain what took me back from writing all this time. One thing I'm sure of though is that now that the Awards Season has taken off, I'll be here a lot regularly just to complain about frontrunners (coughs, Belfast, coughs) and the critics' ignorance of Titane and Worst Person In The World... I'm also planning to return to older films and cults to rejuvenate the blog's atmosphere - because I'm too determined not to become an only awards blog! Now, let's talk about Jane Campion's latest The Power Of The Dog (and why it's not as boring as you might initially think)! Thanks for being here and I hope you enjoy reading the post!
The Power Of The Dog is Campion's first feature since 2009 (Bright Star), followed by a TV series called Top Of The Lake (2013-2017). After 12 years of directing/writing for TV series, Campion decided to return to filmmaking with an adaptation of Thomas Savage's novel of the same title. It took me aback when I learned that the film was an adaptation since the characters' execution seemed so brilliant - which is something hard to capture because books tend to be more masterful at drawing a clear portrait of a character. Campion's storytelling skills are nothing but regular, though, she first captured my heart with The Piano (1993), and now with this feature. I love how she manages to demonstrate a character's mood not only with brilliant dialogues but with masterful shots and touching soundtracks.
Campion's film isn't only successful in executing characters, the storyline is also crafted in such a way that it's almost impossible for the audience to guess where the film is going. Campion said in one of her interviews that her initial intention was to write the story in a way that gives the exact sense of mystery and enigma that the original work carries within. Needless to say, she did just that. Throughout the film, I found myself guessing if Phil would end up being an anti-protagonist or if Rose would ever confront him. This aspect of the film definitely made me look forward to watching the next scene to see how the story unfolds - which got me surprised when I saw the comments like "dull and flat" towards the film. It's not.
The film revolves around Phil, a virile, high-tempered cowboy who appears to have a despise towards women. Throughout the film, we see Phil regarding manhood as a superiority and displaying some toxic masculanity traits. We see those traits directed mostly to his brother and Rose - which will soon lead her to depression.
As we try to figure out the roots of his behaviour, towards the end, we finally see him dropping his facade with an unforgettable climax scene. Although we don’t see this character growing for the better, seeing him showing his vulnerable side to Peter was a notable improvement in this character’s arc. I can't say he was my favourite character since he wasn't intended to be written as an ideal protagonist at all, but seeing his growth overall was satisfying.
Coming to Peter, an aspiring medicine student who has an innate curiosity for nature. Although Phil and Peter's relationship made a rocky start, we knew that he was the closest person Phil ever saw to himself. This explains why Phil tried to change Peter's "feminine" traits and tried to replace it with manly occupations which he - of course - finds holy. Knowing that Peter has a natural wonder towards the world around him, we see him adjusting to that persona and forming a closer relationship to Phil as a result.
I read that the end of the film reminded the critics of classic Greek tragedy, where the protagonist falls into an unexpected disaster and leaves the audience shocked - which I think is the perfect analogy ever made about the film.
All in all, The Power Of The Dog quickly placed itself among one of my favourite films of the year (followed closely by Titane, what did you even expect?). I loved how the lines between masculinity and femininity were explored in a fresh way, as well as adding a new perspective in queer cinema. I'm now hoping that it won't take another decade for Jane Campion to release a new film because I have to see more storytellers like her in movie theaters!
Slowly finishing the post, I'm going to highlight that I need to see Cumberbatch getting all the awards he deserves this season - and a big applause for Kirsten Dunst for pulling off another messed up character that I can totally relate to! Needless to say, I really want to see Jane Campion getting recognized by her work but she doesn't need my wishes 'cause she's already winning everything!
You can follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr; all with the same nickname moviesatdawn. I can't promise to be active, I barely have time to... breathe, basically. Thanks a million for joining me this week and I'll see you - god knows when hopefully this month - later! Take care and keep enjoying life! And movies too.
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