The power of the dog (2021) 🏜️

 

"Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog" -Psalms 22:20

      This is a one-of-a-kind film. The film itself is a bunch of feelings well-channeled through the characters we see. I will try not to give you any spoilers but it seems inevitable to me at this point (I'm sorry😔). I think it'll be better to explain singly every character and their situation.

He is Phil Burbank, a prepotent rancher and the main character here (I guess🤔) 

     The story follows the lives of two brothers in Utah, in 1924. We see Phil as a hard-working rancher that knows how to inspire fear in others, contrarily, George Burbank is seen as an affable bourgeois who's severely put off by his brother who, in turn, has toxic virility towards those that don't fit the "man standard" behavior. This character has a lot to show in the film and he represents so many men out there whose genuine instinct is to "retaliate" (somehow) against others just because of their sexual orientation, suppressing feelings. He might be the main character, but this time he is the antagonist of the story.

     It is said by Phil's brother himself that Phil does not bathe or dress up well because he has no love to impress. He was once in love with someone (this is not clear yet, but the way everything went. it's affirmative). The supposed lover was Bronco Henry, a man that at some point in their lives taught everything they know now about farm management. Bronco is the key to revealing Phil's secret. 

George Burbank (left) and Rose Gordon (right)

     Things turn quite a bit for the Burbank brothers when George secretly married Rose. The sudden entry of Rose into the family made Phil despise Rose and lash out with atypical behaviors. Phil sort of used to fill that "man-lacking" feeling with his brother and witnessing how he just disappeared to settle down made Phil hate her even more. Rose felt like a rat, imprisoned and subjugated at her will, when she was around Phil, the whole Phil's contempt and insensibility towards her made her enter a depressing phase. In other words, Phil attacked emotionally and verbally Rose because he thought she took his brother away from him. It seemed George is no one to stop this.

Peter Gordon, an aspiring doctor and Rose's child

     There is a dark aura around this kid, he seems very delicate, so delicate for a boy that made him the perfect target for homophobic bullies. He is quietly and smartly; the guy that will save his mother at any cost, even killing. At a given point, Peter found Phil's magazines with male nudes, and from that very moment on, he knew exactly how to work with Phil. 

    I am not going to lie, there is so much material to work but that'll make them spoilers for you. But here is a brief explanation of how the name "The power of the dog" has so much to do with the picture. That verse from the bible is a prayer to deliver us from the evil, George, Rose, and Peter represent the unfortunate ones and Phil represents for that matter the power of the dog, the evil. You will get from this movie a soft, clever, and subtle way of taking revenge. 

RATE:4/5

⭐⭐⭐⭐  

Highly recommended

My advice: pay attention to every little detail. Everything here tells a story. BTW, if you are movie gore enough, you are going to fall in love with every scene. It's just a masterpiece to watch.