The Power of the Dog - A Tale of Warring Desires

Psalm 22:10 “deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog.” 

Psalm 22 is popularly known as a Messianic Psalm. It’s a psalm that predicts the future of what would happen to the Messiah. In this song we read about the Messiah’s brutal suffering and how He is crushed but cries out to God for deliverance. He cries out to God for help against various enemies in verses 19-21: the sword, the dog, the lion, and the wild oxen. Dogs in our culture are cute and cuddly. They’re man’s best friend. In the Hebrew culture they were vicious. They were more like a wild wolf then the domesticated pets we know them today. A dog could tear a person apart. It was vicious and wild, untamed. 

Phil (Benedict Cumperbatch) is the dog in “the power of the dog.” Early on his interactions at the dinner table demonstrate he’s loud, brash, blunt, harsh, critical, maybe even vicious. His brother George (Jesse Plemons) is the exact opposite. He’s kind, gentle, quiet, caring, considerate. They meet a family, Rose (Kirsten Dunst) and her son Peter. While Georges kind demeanor uplifts Rose, Phils Harshness crushes Rose. 

Without giving away any twists, I will say this movie is about subtlety, power, and deliverance. The subtlety’s are a nice touch by director Jane Campion. There’s a lot foreshadowing and talk about different types of animals that alludes to the characters within the story. There’s a moment where Phil and Peter stare at a mountain side and Phil talks about having eyes to see shapes on the mountain side. They both see a dog. There’s a moment where they also talk about wolves and cattle. How wolves can be sneaky and exploit the weakness of their prey, much like the characters within this story. These subtle moments, and there’s several, pay off big in the end. 

There’s also power. Phil and Peter both want control. They will do what is necessary to have control. Phil hides his true character under a rough countenance. Where as Peter hides who he is under a soft and quiet countenance. Under their hidden countenance, they’re both vying for power, and their desires will ultimately clash. 

Lastly everything runs full steam into the final act with deliverance. Peter cares most about his mom and her health. He will do anything to protect her and provide her with happiness. No matter who or what the enemy is he will save her at all costs. Or will he be conflicted because of a soft spot for Phil? That’s the tension this movie provides.  

While I think the movie could’ve been improved in the edit. It could’ve been trimmed a bit more and As a result there were some moments where the tension could’ve been stronger. A sharper edit wouldve increases the conflict. 

All in all I think director Jane Campion has crafted a very interesting story with subtle yet complex characters and warring desires