Review of Straw Dogs (1971) by Carlos I — 05 Aug 2017

At the time of this review, I've not seen any other Sam Peckinpah films, and I know nothing about what happened behind the scenes or how anyone involved feels about the film they made. With that being said, I feel comfortable saying that I'm a part of the group who views "Straw Dogs" as a raw look at desperate humanity, not as a glorified spectacle of violence.

It's a horrific film, and I was uncomfortable throughout so much of it. But that's a good thing. Dustin Hoffman and Susan George were phenomenal, making every decision made by their characters feel like last resorts. And the supporting cast was good as well, despite mostly being caricatures used to create some sort of tension or situation that the two leads need to react to.

The cinematography and editing mixed together to create a jarring and claustrophobic atmosphere, and it was incredibly effective. This is an in-film world that needs to feel hopeless and inescapable, and it wholeheartedly does.

When it comes to the controversial subject matter and the delivery of it, I'm a fan. I don't agree with many of the decisions made by the characters, but the film makes it clear why choices are made and feelings are felt. There was never a moment where I had difficulties understanding how a character was able to do something they did. Again, I was often times unable to relate to a character's thought process, and I was flat-out disgusted by so many events that took place. But it all makes sense in the context of the story.

"Straw Dogs" does an excellent job of portraying a desperate and primative humanity. This is a film about people being pushed over and over again until they break, and while it's not an easy watch, it's an enjoyable, and expertly crafted and structured movie.