Review of Straw Dogs (1971) by Aaron N — 08 Apr 2008

David Sumner: Ok, you've had your fun. I'll give you one more chance, and if you don't clear out now, there'll be real trouble. I mean it.

Despite having an awesome poster, this is a slow moving film that only builds up to a pacifist being pushed too far and using violence to rid himself of his threats. Still, Dustin Hoffman is very good and Peckinpah's direction is solid.

Hoffman and Susan George star as a young married couple who have moved to the English countryside, in order for Hoffman's mathematician character to have peace while he writes his book.

While they try to live in their home, some local boys who are not above getting drunk and fooling around all the time, are working on the garage and other little house chores for the couple.

When they aren't working, they spend their time making fun of Hoffman's nerdy character and ogling his wife.

There is also a subplot involving what is essentially a village idiot and the local honey flirting with him.

The slow build of the film arrives at a point where the bullies go to far, do some bad things to the wife, and eventually try to break into the house, only to have Hoffman grow some balls and fight fire with fire.

The final twenty minutes of this movie are very violent, and there are some other nasty scenes as well. The move up to these points however is just not very entertaining. Sure the performances are pretty good, but seeing a husband and wife get into arguments is not much of a movie.

However, once the film gets into its more important scenes, Sam Peckinpah's style is evident through the use of its well handled editing style, slow motion, and blood.

As far as the films message, which I would guess is trying to speak out about what the importance of violence can mean to people, I wasn't really feeling it.

David Sumner: Jesus. I got 'em all!

[he didn't].