Review of Straw Dogs (1971) by Bobby B — 29 Apr 2008

I wouldn't say the movie is a bad one. But it suffers from weak writing and populated by underdeveloped and uintelligent characters. I didn't have a problem with the violence but I really had a problem sympathizing with Dustin Hoffan's character.

As he was pretty much a jerk. He seems unable to communicate with his wife effectively, turns into a wife beater the last 30mins of it and decides to harbor a killer. I'm sorry but as far as I'm concerned he deserved for those events to take place he could have stopped but chose not to.

I mean the guy was a killer who at one point turned on his wife and he still protects. Then after the masscere is over he just leaves his wife there. Now Hoffman's isn't the only annoying character his wife Susan Geogre is just as agitating.

Half way through the rape scene she seems to be enjoying she moans in pleasure (which might be due to Geogre's confusing performance during that scene) and asks the rapist to stay wtf. And then she never even tells her husband about the incident.

Which is somewhat understandable but the writer nor director ever show her motivations for keeping it a secret was she ashamed to confide in her husband? We are never shown. Infact alot of events take place that seem pointless because we are never shown motivation by any characters throughout the film.