Review of Straw Dogs (1971) by Harry W — 23 Mar 2014

Since lately I'd found myself growing more and more fond of Sam Peckinpah's films and always a fan of Dustin Hoffman, Straw Dogs sounded too good to pass up.

Deviating from many of the more action heavy films of his career, Sam Peckinpah takes a more deep and insightful look into the humanity of manhood than you may expect from him in Straw Dogs. It starts off as a simple drama and gradually builds more and more intensity which distils a certain uncertainty and paranoia in the viewer. The film gets more and more atmospheric as it progresses as well with the music becoming more and more eerie and the actors having their characters develop into more and more complicated figures as they face a thrilling situation which gradually gets to them more and more. You can see that Sam Peckinpah's role as director has him taking a step back and allowing the story to develop naturally through the actors and the job of the editors. He ensures that psychological thrills of the story are all present, but he lets them happen naturally which makes the experience of watching Straw Dogs feel all the more realistic and therefore more chilling. Straw Dogs is a different kind of film to the usual that Sam Peckinpah directs, but it lacks none of the tense grit that he is famous for implementing into so many features which also make so many of his films great.

Straw Dogs is a complicated story, so it's easy to see why it is so controversial and shocking in its own time. It came at a time when the darker regions of the human mind were not explored as much through cinema as today, and especially in the year 1971 when a new level of violence was introduced to cinema through films such as this, The French Connection and A Clockwork Orange. Straw Dogs came at a complicated time, but considering just how it changed certain elements of cinema and the depiction of its controversial themes and nature, it is a very important film from a historical standpoint. Whilst it maintains a rather slow pace over the course of its running time, its gradual construction of its intense dramatic aspects grow more and more in power until it hits an incredibly powerful climax. Its extended final act is ripe with intensity and dramatic power which shows the true dark nature of violence without ever glamourizing it, and it is incredible. The final act is unforgettable, exhilarating and gritty one which shows the endeavour of Sam Peckinpah's skill as a director within a very brief timeframe. Straw Dogs is a powerful psychological thriller and its climax is unforgettable. One other unforgettable scene is the rape sequence which instead of being quick and loud allows things to naturally occur. It has no musical score and everything moves slowly and tensely which makes it a slow and uncomfortable experience, and yet it is impossible to divert the eyes. Straw Dogs has a lot of awkward themes which it covers without fear, and so it is really easy to see why it is considered to be one of Sam Peckinpah's finest works.

One of the techniques implored by Sam Peckinpah to make things intense from a visual perspective is that the cinematography takes up a lot of very claustrophobic animals, and when this combines with the quick editing it manages to shake the minds of the viewers and leave them in the state of mind the characters are dealing with. And thanks to powerfully fierce performances by the actors it feels or the more genuine and therefore even more fiercely powerful.

Dustin Hoffman's performance is an interesting one. It starts off as many of his stereotypical performances do, being sophisticated and calm as he faces the new situations in his life. Yet as the story develops, small aspects of his character become more and more tense as you can see him facing the changing world he grew to be so comfortable in. Viewers will witness Dustin Hoffman growing more and more intense as the situations become more and more shocking to him. The stare which he has at the start of Straw Dogs is stoic, but by the end of it his stare is one of a warrior. As his humanity is stripped down more and more until it reaches the core of his humanistic violent side, his stare eventually becomes the cold look of hate. His simple stare makes it easy for viewers to see into his soul and watch the fighter he has become break free without resorting to over the top action hero antics, and that combined with his realistic line delivery, complex conveying of emotions and his fractured physicality makes Dustin Hoffman's performance in Straw Dogs one of his most different and unforgettable.

Susan George's performance is a realistic one since her character has no idea how to deal with the shocking situations she faces, and while she brings a lot of realism to the screen I found that in all honesty I began to grow annoyed at her more and more since her character was unhelpful and wouldn't shut up. I realised that this made it easier for me to connect to the protagonist David Sumner as his stress became increased more and more by her negative attitude and unwillingness to help. While that was good, her character was really annoying so her performance is a good one which may also prove annoying to viewers. That was the case with me, so Susan George is good but she has a pretty thin character to work with.

Peter Vaughan and T.P. McKenna also give fierce and intimidating supporting performances which gave a lot of support to the story and made it even more thrilling.

So Straw Dogs is a dated film and is a bit of a slow experience, but riding some of the most intelligent and gritty direction available from Sam Peckinpah, a powerful cast and an unforgettably powerful climax, Straw Dogs is a powerful psychological thriller which made its impact on history upon its original release in 1971 and still has the powerful ability to thrill audiences in the modern day.