Director/screenwriter Jane Campion returns with her first motion picture in 12 years and it’s making some noise. The New Zealand born Oscar winner brings The Power of the Dog to Netflix, which started as a limited theatrical release. Based on the novel by Thomas Savage from which Campion adapts her screenplay, the film has already been nominated for multiple awards, including the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Golden Globes for picture, writing and directing, acting, cinematography, editing and score. There is no question The Power of the Dog will be a top Oscar contender in similar categories.
Although a co-production between New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and Canada, and being filmed mostly in New Zealand, the story takes place in 1925 Montana. The film may be described as a Western, but also a mature drama with heavy psychological undertones. In fact, the picture seems to play with genres, beginning as what seems to be classic Western, then turning to what may be conceived as romance and leaving us with a sort of a slow-burn mystery. The story concerns two rancher brothers, one of which brings a new wife and her son to live with them. The brothers seem to be opposite, as one is well-mannered and sympathetic and the other is a cruel and insecure human being. The latter brother and fellow ranchers do not welcome the wife and son with open arms, and constantly mock the boy for having a lisp and being rather effeminate. The movie tackles heavy subjects such as repressed anger, jealousy, sexuality and revenge. It is important to point out to viewers that there are depictions of animal cruelty as some may want to steer clear. These scenes are integral for movie-goers to establish the true depth of the characters. While the first hour seemed to proceed a bit slowly, the second hour of the story really took the ball and ran with it. It may be necessary to see the movie more than once (which I have not as of yet), as a second viewing has been said by some to clear up any confusion and put the missing pieces into place. It is always refreshing to see something that is quite original in Hollywood these days and although the themes are familiar, the story as a whole is complex and fresh.
The acting was solid, with Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee turning in nuanced performances. I have seen most of Dunst’s previous work (which is a lot, as she was a child actor), and I find that she is one of those actresses who seems to constantly makes odd film choices. I do not care for many of the films she chose to participate in over the past 10 years. Still, her performances are generally favorable and with The Power of The Dog she knocks it out of the park in her portrayal of the distant and lonely Rose Gordon. Kodi was impressive in one of my favorite vampire films, Let Me In, and I recently saw The Road which he was excellent in as well. With an Oscar win, he would become the second youngest Best Supporting Actor winner in history at 26 (the #1 honor goes to Timothy Hutton for Ordinary People at age 20). Coincidentally, Anna Paquin won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at 11 years of age, making her the second youngest female in history for The Piano, another film by Jane Campion. Benedict Cumberbatch is fantastic in The Power of The Dog with his representation of the cruel Phil Burbank and Jesse Plemons is on-point as always as the kind brother George. I was extremely expressed with Jonny Greenwood’s haunting and foreboding score (who also worked on Licorice Pizza and Spencer that same year). The beautiful backdrop of the New Zealand mountains laid the groundwork for Ari Wegner’s elegant yet harsh cinematography, successfully capturing both the wide landscape and intimacy of the film.
While this film may not be my personal favorite of the year, I can definitely say that I enjoyed it and everything from the directing to the editing made sense. The story’s twists and turns develop the characters’ motives in ways that are unexpected. I would have liked to have seen more backstory on the brothers, however there are many sacrifices that are made when successfully adapting a novel. This film may not be for everyone, especially if you are impatient. However, if you stick with the film, which may be slow at times, the rewards will be well worth the time spent. I highly recommend The Power of The Dog and give it my 4-out-of-5-star approval.