Review of Straw Dogs (1971) by Daniel W — 26 May 2010

I suppose the allure of this film is that it spent nearly two decades censored in the United Kingdom. It was forced to sit on the censor's shelf collecting dust. A fair bit of carnage of twisted violence and much of the controversy surrounding Dogs stems from the rape scene. It would be truly interesting to watch how Rod Lurie will handle the remake. James Marsden is a likable actor but can he take on a character so dark and fill Dustin Hoffman's large shoes?

Straw Dogs is the story of a young couple, David and Amy, who come to live in the West Country. Instead of the anticipated friendly welcome, David and Amy experience terror at the hands of the creepy locals. Amy is attacked and raped, while David, a man of peace, finds himself pushed closer and closer to the edge as he defends his wife and home from the intruders. Straw Dogs is a shrewd one and has remained one film that has a real bite. Stunning yet disturbing.