You are warmly invited to attend our next film evening on 25 November, for a viewing and discussion of The Power of the Dog (run time 2 hours 7 minutes). The Power of the Dog is a reflection on masculinity (both toxic and non-conforming to societal expectations), unacknowledged and unexpressed emotions, the complexity of relationships, resistance to change, hidden desires, and much more. In this Jane Campion adaptation of a 1967 novel by Thomas Savage, with Benedict Cumberbatch magnificently playing the lead role, we are transported into life on a cattle ranch in the Mid-West. Phil is a rugged, tough, alpha male with a vicious side and hidden desires. The relationships between men are explored – fraternal, peer, mentor, friendships – with the ghost of homoeroticism hovering discreetly throughout.
We observe the destructive outcome of unacknowledged and unexpressed emotions in Phil including his fear of abandonment, that wreaks havoc in the lives of several of the other characters over whom he wields intense psychological power that is simultaneously gentle yet vicious. As is often the case when confronted by this kind of manipulative destructive bullying behaviour, the victims are themselves too intimidated to confront him.
In typical Campion fashion the many levels bubbling below the surface are like mirages, only glimpsed in passing. The viewer is left with many questions over which to ruminate, cogitate, explicate, and circumambulate for days!
