The power of the dog It has recently been released on Netflix, after a brief stint at a few select theaters. Acclaimed filmmaker Jane Campion directs Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee in a film that has already made its way into the top predictions for the 2022 Oscars, within the main categories.
This new bet from the streaming giant places us in the Montana of 1925 and introduces us to the Burbank brothers: George (Plemons) and Phil (Cumberbatch). Despite the consanguineous tie that unites them, they are totally different. While the former is a kind, well-regarded and admirable person; the second is a tough cowboy, whose presence instills fear.
Their relationship seems not to be in the best of conditions, and the tension between them heightens when George marries Rose (Dunst), a widow who lives with her son Peter (Smit-McPhee), a young aspiring doctor who unleashes ridicule for his acting effeminate.
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The latter two move to the Burbank house and that is when the story begins to wind itself between drama and discomfort, in a story that adopts marked overtones of a psychological thriller. Although the film could be classified within the western genre, this powerful story fits the perspective that the viewer wants to give it.
In fact, the implicit is really the star of the interweaving of a plot that is not only supported by excellent performances, but is also accompanied by impressive photography. However, do not be fooled by the peaceful landscapes that invite tranquility, as the soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood reveals, to a large extent, what the true intentions of the characters are.
The power of the dog leaves much to the imagination of those who appreciate the simplicity and, at the same time, intricate sequence of scenes. Each frame presented is not due to chance, rather, they are small splinters that fan the flame of mystery that little by little will become a sinister accumulation of consequences.
This is achieved thanks to the subtle transitions in the development of their roles. At first you might think that the silent confrontation between Rose and Phil would be the common thread of their starting point; but, small changes of importance transport us to a new and unexpected protagonist relationship: Phil-Peter.
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That’s when we wonder how thin the line can be between cruelty and kindness. We went from seeing a wild cowboy who does not control his impulses, to a peaceful mentor for the young man. This is precisely what drops us on a pile of bricks when the final stretch reveals that love can mean a new life or an unforeseen path to death.
Jane Campion, without a doubt, has composed an extremely careful structure, which corners its protagonists in an internal battle, where fear of being discovered, repression and pain converge to turn a setting decorated by beautiful landscapes into the witness of destruction intentional.
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