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Set in the early 20th Century, The Power of the Dog follows brothers and ranchers Phil and George Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons). When George meets and marries Rose (Kirsten Dunst), the dynamics between the three of them, as well as with her teenage son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) bring turmoil to the family.
The thing is that Phil and George are as different as they can be, with George being apparently more kinder and "sophisticated", while Phil is more "rough" and dedicated to the ranch life. This attitude clashes also with Peter, who Phil sees as effeminate, as he ruthlessly mocks him and demeans him.
Jane Campion delivers both a beautiful and mournful direction to this story, evoking the tragic nature of the characters. All of the performances deliver, especially Smit-McPhee, who plays Peter as someone you just can't pin down, and someone to whom the above quote might apply way more than we might think. However, it is Cumberbatch who has the focus most of the time, and he handles all the layers in Phil's persona very well.
But Phil's behavior hides more than what we initially see. This is progressively revealed as the film goes on, anchored by the idolization of his late mentor, Bronco Henry. It was him who taught Phil everything about the ranch life and then some, including the above quote. What is it that makes a "man"? Is it being married? Is it taking care of your loved ones? Is it that patience in light of the odds that Bronco Henry told him about?
Whatever it is, that is something that Phil constantly questions of several people around him; especially of Peter, but also of his brother, and maybe even himself. The Power of the Dog challenges those notions as we see the ways that Phil interacts with other people, and even the way he thinks of himself.
There is a notion that Phil deems himself unworthy, whether it is of being inside the house or sitting at the table with others. Maybe that's why he feels the need to put down others, most notably Rose and Peter. But the relationship he develops with Peter in the second half is what makes things more interesting, as we see how those odds and that patience play out.
Grade:
THE POWER OF THE DOG
(2021, Campion)
A film directed by a woman
(2021, Campion)
A film directed by a woman
"Bronco Henry told me that a man was made by patience in the odds against him."
Set in the early 20th Century, The Power of the Dog follows brothers and ranchers Phil and George Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons). When George meets and marries Rose (Kirsten Dunst), the dynamics between the three of them, as well as with her teenage son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) bring turmoil to the family.
The thing is that Phil and George are as different as they can be, with George being apparently more kinder and "sophisticated", while Phil is more "rough" and dedicated to the ranch life. This attitude clashes also with Peter, who Phil sees as effeminate, as he ruthlessly mocks him and demeans him.
Jane Campion delivers both a beautiful and mournful direction to this story, evoking the tragic nature of the characters. All of the performances deliver, especially Smit-McPhee, who plays Peter as someone you just can't pin down, and someone to whom the above quote might apply way more than we might think. However, it is Cumberbatch who has the focus most of the time, and he handles all the layers in Phil's persona very well.
But Phil's behavior hides more than what we initially see. This is progressively revealed as the film goes on, anchored by the idolization of his late mentor, Bronco Henry. It was him who taught Phil everything about the ranch life and then some, including the above quote. What is it that makes a "man"? Is it being married? Is it taking care of your loved ones? Is it that patience in light of the odds that Bronco Henry told him about?
Whatever it is, that is something that Phil constantly questions of several people around him; especially of Peter, but also of his brother, and maybe even himself. The Power of the Dog challenges those notions as we see the ways that Phil interacts with other people, and even the way he thinks of himself.
There is a notion that Phil deems himself unworthy, whether it is of being inside the house or sitting at the table with others. Maybe that's why he feels the need to put down others, most notably Rose and Peter. But the relationship he develops with Peter in the second half is what makes things more interesting, as we see how those odds and that patience play out.
Grade: