REVIEW: The power of ‘The Power of the Dog’

Photo: Kirsten Dunst stars in The Power of the Dog, the new film by Jane Campion. Photo courtesy of Kirsty Griffin / Netflix / Provided by press site with permission.

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The Power of the Dog, the new movie written and directed by Jane Campion, is a powerful western fable about love found and love yearned for. Few people express themselves fully in the movie, instead they choose silences, grimaces and the evocations of their natural surroundings.

The movie, based on the novel by Thomas Savage, follows two brothers, Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Burbank (Jesse Plemons), who are cattle ranchers in Montana approximately 100 years ago. They work hard during the day with a team of men and a herd of cows, and at night they take in the meals and libations offered by local shop owner Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst). It doesn’t take long for George to fall in love with Rose, much to the chagrin of Phil, so Phil decides to show his anger by lashing out at Rose’s son, Peter Gordon (Kodi Smit-McPhee).

As the story unfolds, George and Rose become married, and now this new family dynamic has entered Phil’s life for good. This drives a wedge between the brothers, but what is left unsaid is that Phil is hiding his own sexuality. The only time he can be alone with his thoughts are during quieter moments in a tucked-away glade, out of earshot and eyesight of his team of wranglers. It’s there that he can be himself, for a few moments at least.

Campion has crafted a masterpiece out of Savage’s novel. The characters are believable and fascinating, and the performances she is able to capture are stunning, from Cumberbatch’s ferocity to Smit-McPhee’s curiosity. As a director, she is able to perfectly marry the scenery (the film was actually shot in New Zealand) with the storytelling, making for a fulfilling cinematic experience and touching narrative that covers issues like sibling rivalry, alcoholism, sexuality and the rough reality of a hard day’s work.

Dunst offers a career best as Rose, a woman who is happy to marry George, but unwilling to grow close to her new brother-in-law. She dotes on her son, but her alcoholism gets in the way of making a genuine connection. Smit-McPhee, a standout in the cast, is the target of many jokes by the men around him, so he keeps to himself and takes solace in his studies, including dissecting a rabbit found on the property. When he realizes there’s a real person behind Phil’s rough exterior, they share a quiet, moving bond with each other.

Cumberbatch and Plemons are exquisite as the brothers. They have an obvious love for each other, even though they couldn’t be more different. Phil is the hard worker who comes in from the ranch with dirt on his shoes and sweat on his brow. George seems to be a numbers person, a man trying to set up his life and break from the mundaneness of the past.

The Power of the Dog, now available to stream on Netflix, is a western movie that may remind viewers of Brokeback Mountain because of common themes, but that comparison is not enough to describe these two remarkable entries into cinematic history. Both of them stand as fully realized portraits of the American West, showcasing relationships that were not allowed to be lived publicly. But beyond that connection, The Power of the Dog features a quartet of characters who move in and out of one another’s lives, balancing their actions and words on razor-sharp understandings and misunderstandings of family and expectation. There’s hope for a better future in the air, but there’s also violence around every corner. There are actions out in the open, and there are thoughts that remain hidden, never given the chance to materialize. There’s a lot of complexity brimming beneath the surface of these power dynamics and human relationships. In other words, the movie is a riveting study in how humans push and pull one another, hating and loving along the way.

The Power of the Dog is the movie of the year.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

The Power of the Dog (2021), written and directed by Jane Campion, stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jesse Plemons. Based on the novel by Thomas Savage. Now streaming on Netflix. Running time: 126 minutes. Rated R for brief sexual content / full nudity. Rating: