The Power of the Dog is a film that delves deep in to perception vs reality- how people seem to be and how they really may be. Phil and George are two brothers and ranch owners in Montana. Set in 1925, this is an age when women driving a car is scoffed at and a man who is seemingly fragile may be termed effeminate or a faggot. Boorish and imposing, there’s Phil played by Benedict Cumberbatch, a man of the soil, who wears his grubby appearance with pride and doesn’t mince his words, often sharp tongued and hardhearted. His brother does not seem to share his devotion for their mentor Bronco Henry and is starkly contrasted in personality to his brother with his genteel and mild mannerisms. So when George marries the widow Rose who also brings in her docile son Peter to the ranch, he invokes Phil’s ire who is quick to show his displeasure and disapproval of the match. This sets the stage for a game of intimidation, where Rose slowly and surely slips into alcoholism to cope with the constant subjugation and bullying of Phil. Peter who Phil looks down upon for his delicate ways and his subsequent intrusion in to his life, is equally curious as he is wary of Phil. Peter earns Phil’s respect as he shares Bronco Henry’s eye for seeing beyond the obvious. This breaking of perceived barriers is what the film rides on as it unravels what lies beneath a human’s being obvious exterior. Jane Campion explores a compelling plot, inviting the viewer to engage in breaking stereotypes, peeling the layers off each character, scene by scene till they are laid bare.
The Power of the Dog may take us back by a century but the thought-provoking narrative is as relevant today as it was then. I rate this film **** stars. Like a weary horse, it may trudge slowly but is a rewarding journey for those who stay with it till the end. It leaves you with a lingering sense of human fallacy and duplicity.
The Power of the Dog is now showing on Netflix.
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