Vous voulez voir cette page en français ? Cliquez ici.

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Straw Dogs
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images

Straw Dogs

Dustin Hoffman (Actor), Susan George (Actor), Sam Peckinpah (Director) | Rated: Unrated | Format: DVD
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

› Explore similar items

Product Details

Product Description

Amazon.com Essential Video

One of Sam Peckinpah's most controversial efforts, this film came out at a critical moment in the early 1970s, released in the same month as both Dirty Harry and A Clockwork Orange, causing a furor over film violence. Based on a little-known British novel, the film casts Dustin Hoffman as a bookish American mathematician on sabbatical in rural England, in the town where his young bride (Susan George) grew up. He finds himself forced to defend his home against an assault by local toughs, and discovers a frighteningly feral and vicious side to himself. Though Straw Dogs has a reputation for graphic violence, it actually looks tame by contemporary standards. Instead, the violence is psychological, and the suspense and shocks are induced by the editing--you're more terrified by what you think you see than by what you are actually shown. --Marshall Fine

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
(5)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

 

Customer Reviews

52 Reviews
5 star:
 (19)
4 star:
 (15)
3 star:
 (13)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (5)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (52 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A nerve-shredding, palm-sweating thriller.......and drama, Oct 26 2007
By 
Jenny J.J.I. "A New Yorker" (That Lives in Carolinas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Straw Dogs (DVD)
This film is one of the best works of Sam Peckinpah this movie deals with the true humanitarian phenomena, human nature for sexual orientation and needs and the most human seduction and temptation. This movie thrills you from the start to the end and the most magnificent aspect of the movie is its ambiguity and confusing nature of climax. "Straw Dogs" is an intense thriller that shows what can happen when you push even the mildest mannered man too far. In here, Dustin Hoffman plays a mathematician who temporarily moves to a house in a rural village in England with his wife, a former resident of the town, played by Susan George. The two withstand incessant needling from several of the townsfolk until George is raped and assaulted and Hoffman is pushed over the edge.

Incidentally, right after watching this film I found a documentary on cable about filmmakers from the late '60s to late '70s and one of the directors profiled was Sam Peckinpah. I had always considered his films to be violent and vaguely shocking, which never surprised me, knowing that he was a hard-living maverick who did things his way - an element that is resplendent in most of his films. A brief mention of Straw Dogs was included in this documentary, where they described it as a "sexist film". There are obvious scenes in the film that could support this criticism, but I think that is overanalyzing the film with a political correctness that is out of place. While the two female characters are both victimized, Susan George also has her moments of empowerment. I may be a female, but I don't consider Peckinpah's tendency to make testosterone-driven films any more sexist than anything that Tarantino puts out, and I'm a big fan of his work as well. It's a dangerous line to draw when one labels a film due to what is *not* included in a film.

What this film does contain is much more stellar - Hoffman is beyond incredible in this film. His character development is amazing to experience. One criticism of the film that I heard from a friend who saw it before me was that it "dragged." I couldn't disagree more. The development of the story until the extremely violent climax is a perfect pace because it made me feel like I was sitting in a dentist chair, knowing that this low boil could explode at any time. After the dust settles, the viewer is left to decide whether Hoffman's character made the right decision, and left to speculate on the ramifications of the choices made. This is by far one of the best films I've seen in recent months and from this director.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


1.0 out of 5 stars Straw Dogs, Nov 21 2011
This review is from: Straw Dogs (DVD)
The DVD stops about 3/4 of the way through and then goes to the main menu. If you then choose "scenes" to return to where you were it continues to do the same thing. Worst video I have purchased from Amazon.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


5.0 out of 5 stars Ken Hutchison, Feb 11 2004
By 
Meadow Sage (Norman, OK United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Straw Dogs (Widescreen) (DVD)
I liked this movie but only saw it because I try to see as many of the movies Ken Hutchison appears in as possible. He plays Norman Scutt and is great as usual. He always elevates the material of whatever movie or show he is in. Where is he now??? Really dark humor - cracks me up when David whines "They're breaking all my windows!" and when Norman just says "Bottle" before going off to wreak havoc. Poor little kitty cat. Very impressed by Susan George. She really pulls off a tricky role. Good for you, Susan! But Hutchison is the reason to watch it again....and again.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
› Go to Amazon.com to see all 103 reviews  4.1 out of 5 stars 
 
 		 Most recent customer reviews











Only search this product's reviews


Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject
















i.e., each DVD must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?