Straw Dogs 40th Anniversary [Blu-ray]

Sam Peckinpah's STRAW DOGS is one of those movies that polarizes its audience in various ways: it's blatantly violent; it's incredibly slow-paced; it's so realistic as to seem lazy; it's nihilistic and incredibly down-beat. Almost everything about it is predisposed to controversy, which is arguably what makes it such a brilliant examination of the violence within.

David Sumner has come to England to live in his wife Amy's hometown. Immediately he recognizes his outsider status; the locals don't take kindly to him, and David for his part thinks himself superior. This leads to tensions building between the Sumners and the townspeople, enhanced by the fact that one of the agitators was once Amy's lover.

The fires in the film burn slowly, but when they reach their peak, they are massive. It's an eruption of violence, much of it almost unwatchable, yet Peckinpah injects enough humanity--easily mistaken for sexism and egoism, perhaps--into all of it that you can't help but look away. As David and Amy, Dustin Hoffman and Susan George have dynamic, realistic chemistry--their love is palpable, and so are their fights, and the slow disintegration of their marriage makes complete sense given the context. The violence that ultimately ensues is not over-the-top, really; it's just awful to watch because it hits close to home. What Peckinpah is suggesting is that every one of us is capable of discovering something new, and that we may not always like what we find.

The Blu-ray (which I'm reviewing) is a mixed blessing. It's nice to have the film available again (remakes are good for something, I guess), and it looks/sounds fantastic (sound, indeed, is a big deal here, especially in the brilliant climactic scene). However, there are no bonus features aside from "TV Spots" and "Theatrical Trailer" (which sounded so mundane I didn't even check them out). A making-of, tribute piece, or even a bit on Peckinpah himself (as we got with THE WILD BUNCH, a brilliant documentary narrated by Kris Kristofferson) would have been a nice addition. As is, we get to judge the film on its own merits (as it should be), but the package is a little too bare-bones for the price tag.

Make no mistake: STRAW DOGS is not for everyone. Many will be bored; many will be appalled. But if you are unafraid of films that examine the human condition, that take their time to make a frightening point, then this film is a must see. If nothing else, it proves that Chekhov's old adage about a gun in the first act also applies to bear traps. Yikes.

Although not as wholesome as his masterpiece "The Wild Bunch" this peculiar and controversial drama is the ultimate exercise in beefing up the home defense. No where near as graphic by today's standards the brutality is still respectable. The one aspect of the film I don't clearly understand is Susan George's character. One minute she is faithful, the next she isn't, and then the next minute she's taking pleasure and then displeasure in a tag team rape...strange. Other than that Hoffman puts in a decent performance and may the cat in the closet R.I.P.

Saw this movie in the theater way back when it first came out. Loved it. When I recently saw the release of the remake, I knew I needed to watch the original again. Have since seen the remake and must say that it is equally as good as the original version.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 9 reviews  3.9 out of 5 stars