The Power of the Dog

by Julian Spivey

Netflix

Director: Jane Campion
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst & Kodi Smit-McPhee
Rated: R
Runtime: 2 hours & 5 minutes

Director Jane Campion had reportedly considered retiring before someone gave her a copy of author Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel The Power of the Dog. She decided it was a story she had to turn into film and now it’s the most nominated film for the 94th annual Academy Awards with 12 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Campion, who becomes the first female director in history nominated for that honor multiple times.
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“The Power of the Dog” is a Western, yes, it’s a Western despite what some might have claimed, you know how I know – it’s set in the American West of 1925 Montana and features cattle ranchers! Not all Westerns are gunfighter shoot ‘em ups. Anyway, the film revolves around brothers Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Burbank (Jesse Plemons) and their cattle ranch, which is Phil’s entire life. George seems to want to be more of a business and family man and has his eyes set on a local widow Rose (Kirsten Dunst). Rose has a teenager son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who has a lisp and effeminate mannerism and the first moment between Peter and Phil certainly does not go well with the volatile (and let’s face it Grade A Asshole) Phil immediately mocking the boy for his lisp and mannerisms.

When George marries Rose and brings her to the family ranch, Phil immediately hates the idea viewing her both as a gold-digger and a block between him and his brother, whom the film leads us to believe were much closer during their earlier life. Phil begins to taunt Rose and wage mental warfare against her to the point of driving her to alcoholism.

George, Rose and Peter come in and out within the story, but the film’s major focus is Phil and Cumberbatch totally owns the performance absolutely making you hate his character, especially for the first half of the film or so. It’s in Phil’s alone moments at a nearby pond that you finally find a bit of humanity in the character when you realize his late mentor Bronco Henry was a bit more than just a mentor to him – though I’m not sure whether it was an actual love affair or an unrequited love.

Around the mid-point of the movie, Phil begins to take Peter under his wings and I’m never quite sure if he’s doing it a) just to piss off Rose b) grooming him in a way similar to how Bronco Henry did with him c) actually developing feelings for the young boy or potentially a mixture of the three.

Some people have had an issue with the gay theme of the film, but honestly if you do, please get a life. If you don’t think cowboys out on the range in the American West didn’t occasionally develop feelings for each other you’re out of your mind.

All four main actors in the film have received Oscar-nominations for their performances and rightfully so. All are spectacular. Even though Cumberbatch’s performance is the best of the film, in my opinion, and certainly its biggest focus it is Smit-McPhee that’s probably the most likely to win an award for his role as the effeminate and at times unnerving Peter.

One of the biggest things Campion’s film has going for it is its beautiful cinematography shot by Ari Wegner, also nominated for an Oscar for her work. Campion’s homeland of New Zealand was a stand-in for Montana in the film and it’s picturesque landscapes are as much of the story as the acting performances.

“The Power of the Dog” can be streamed on Netflix.