Review of Straw Dogs (1971) by Luc L — 10 Jun 2012

Eyes Wide Shut -- and the cooked-up debates surrounding it -- are only about sex in the head. Peckinpah gives you sex as a kick in the groin, a jolt to the brain and a shot to the heart. Upon first viewing, it seems like a straightforward film, but the more one watches it, the more tension one sees in the relationship between the couple. The theme of mankind's potential for animalistic behavior has been explored by Kubrick and other directors in several films of the era. It's noteworthy that Kubrick's controversial "A Clockwork Orange" was made the same year as "Straw Dogs," and that both works gave severe headaches to the Motion Picture Rating Board. As directed by Peckinpah, the tale's build-up is taut, and the conclusion inevitable in its fiery explosion. The film's most scandalous scene, which involves graphic depiction of Amy's rape, has been charged with misogyny, voyeurism, and exploitation, but it actually fits into the Peckinpah's views on inevitability and futility of gruesome violence, manifest in his 1969 masterpiece, "The Wild Bunch.".

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film. (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).