Review of Straw Dogs (1971) by Abdul-Aziz A — 07 Nov 2008

It does so well in setting up why Hoffman should be outraged and capable of his turn, but that ultimate flip eventually makes no sense. In the end, the first half is nothing more than a cheap excuse for Peckinpah to reinforce masculine stereotypes, personalize each villain's grizzly demise and ultimately glorify the violence Hoffman inflicts upon them.

If it was just the second half then it would be a taut, action-packed thriller. Instead it's exploitive and says nothing about the nature of violence that wasn't already stated in the Wild Bunch.