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STRAW DOGS ***½
Four themes drove me to the realization of this film: man ignorant of the violence in himself; the intellectual fleeing society and its responsibilities; the man who becomes violent when he realizes that his woman has been raped and that he must defend that which belongs to him; sexual relations in a couple, the wife being, at that level, definitely unsatisfied. – Sam Peckinpah
David and Amy Sumner (Dustin Hoffman and Susan George) move from America to an idyllic English country home in order for David to work in peace on his mathematics. At least, that is what the excuse is. It seems apparent later on that David is really actually avoiding the draft. Whatever the case may be, life doesn’t get any more peaceful, it gets worse.
In the English town where they now live, there is an undercurrent of a breeding violence. From early on in the film, it is easy to see that there is hostility aimed towards David and Amy. A handful of men hired on to repair the roof of the Sumner’s garage take every opportunity they can get to equally emasculate David and to leer lasciviously at Amy. There is a tension in the air from the beginning that can be cut with a knife whenever the Sumner’s and these men are near each other. David is apparently weak and these men are rugged and strong. Amy is a luscious beauty that all the men want, and mean to someday have. Watching the film, you can tell that something big is going to happen, and it’s hard to sit and wait for it. When the time finally arrives, when the men make their move, it happens in such a brutal, yet equally confusing way, that you can tell that this isn’t another simple revenge movie.
Sam Peckinpah made a film that burrows deep into the psychology of victims and victimizers. Amy, as a victim, doesn’t behave in a way that the audience would normally expect. Instead she acts the opposite, making the audience rethink how much of a victim she is, or whether all victims are alike. Perhaps there are those that do everything they can to avoid confrontation, where there are others that actually seek out their abusers and ask for what they get. And equally disturbing is the fact that some victimizers aren’t the conventional types we all think of. In Straw Dogs one of the victimizers cares for the victim, but doesn’t at the same time, making us sympathize with a person that normally we would see hanged.
Then there is the supposed hero of the story which is David. David runs from societal responsibilities making him a coward. He also looks to the ground when confronted with the possibility with violence, but abuses a cat in the next scene. A weakling taking out his problems on a weaker thing. Only when his back is thrust to the wall does he act out to defend himself, and even then it is only when absolute extremity dictates. David isn’t really a nice guy, he’s not terrible, but still. Heroes in traditional movies are almost angelic in their goodness, unless they have a flaw that, before the movies end, is rectified. Straw Dogs doesn’t let itself do that to its hero. He’s human after all, with weakness, frailty, and violence within.
Straw Dogs is a movie ripe with controversy. It forces us to question all stereotypes of victims, abusers, heroes, and bad guys. It forces us to look at the animal within all of us, especially males. It forces us admit that there is some of Davis and Amy in all of us.
Four themes drove me to the realization of this film: man ignorant of the violence in himself; the intellectual fleeing society and its responsibilities; the man who becomes violent when he realizes that his woman has been raped and that he must defend that which belongs to him; sexual relations in a couple, the wife being, at that level, definitely unsatisfied. – Sam Peckinpah
David and Amy Sumner (Dustin Hoffman and Susan George) move from America to an idyllic English country home in order for David to work in peace on his mathematics. At least, that is what the excuse is. It seems apparent later on that David is really actually avoiding the draft. Whatever the case may be, life doesn’t get any more peaceful, it gets worse.
In the English town where they now live, there is an undercurrent of a breeding violence. From early on in the film, it is easy to see that there is hostility aimed towards David and Amy. A handful of men hired on to repair the roof of the Sumner’s garage take every opportunity they can get to equally emasculate David and to leer lasciviously at Amy. There is a tension in the air from the beginning that can be cut with a knife whenever the Sumner’s and these men are near each other. David is apparently weak and these men are rugged and strong. Amy is a luscious beauty that all the men want, and mean to someday have. Watching the film, you can tell that something big is going to happen, and it’s hard to sit and wait for it. When the time finally arrives, when the men make their move, it happens in such a brutal, yet equally confusing way, that you can tell that this isn’t another simple revenge movie.
Sam Peckinpah made a film that burrows deep into the psychology of victims and victimizers. Amy, as a victim, doesn’t behave in a way that the audience would normally expect. Instead she acts the opposite, making the audience rethink how much of a victim she is, or whether all victims are alike. Perhaps there are those that do everything they can to avoid confrontation, where there are others that actually seek out their abusers and ask for what they get. And equally disturbing is the fact that some victimizers aren’t the conventional types we all think of. In Straw Dogs one of the victimizers cares for the victim, but doesn’t at the same time, making us sympathize with a person that normally we would see hanged.
Then there is the supposed hero of the story which is David. David runs from societal responsibilities making him a coward. He also looks to the ground when confronted with the possibility with violence, but abuses a cat in the next scene. A weakling taking out his problems on a weaker thing. Only when his back is thrust to the wall does he act out to defend himself, and even then it is only when absolute extremity dictates. David isn’t really a nice guy, he’s not terrible, but still. Heroes in traditional movies are almost angelic in their goodness, unless they have a flaw that, before the movies end, is rectified. Straw Dogs doesn’t let itself do that to its hero. He’s human after all, with weakness, frailty, and violence within.
Straw Dogs is a movie ripe with controversy. It forces us to question all stereotypes of victims, abusers, heroes, and bad guys. It forces us to look at the animal within all of us, especially males. It forces us admit that there is some of Davis and Amy in all of us.
__________________
"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."
"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."
Last edited by LordSlaytan; 07-18-04 at 02:50 PM.
How am I going to get a chance to watch all the old classics on my "must-see" list when I have to keep adding these indie and foreign films to my "must-see" list?! 
I was only thinking about this movie the other day, I found it quite powerful when i saw it years ago, i may have another look at it after reading your review, thanks for making my list of 'must see', growing like marks, may have to take time off work to fit them all in. 
. I will have to definitely pick it up and see it. Thanks for the review! 
