Review of Straw Dogs (1971) by Justin M — 08 Aug 2012

I have not been a Pechinpah fan since I watched The Wild Bunch at probably 17 or 18. Watching the film then I had no idea what to make of the film and didn't know how to take his pioneering camera work or extreme violence. To me it was just a bizarre meshing of what is now common place effects and what I took was probably commentary on something that I didn't even begin to understand when I was expecting a polished Hollywood western.

Watching Straw Dogs now at 26 it really makes me curious to go back and re-watch the aforementioned film. Today I much better understand the history of where American cinema was in the 60's & 70's and better understand what what he was trying to communicate. This film today is almost unparalleled as a brutal pot boiling thriller and is still controversial for good reason. That's quite an achievement in my book. His camera techniques don't feel dated or out of place and everything he was trying to say is marvelously preserved to punch you in the gut.

I hope to re-watch some of Pechinpah's other films and maybe, if I'm really feeling adventurous, I'll rewatch Alejandro Jodorowsky The Holly Mountain which I watched at a similar period in my life. Haha, I'm not sure though, I'm doubtful that being 8 years older will redeem or clarify the craziness of that film.