The Power of the Dog is about wealthy ranch owners Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Burbank (Jesse Plemons). Set in Montana in 1925, the story centers on the turbulent dynamic between Phil, Rose (Kirsten Dunst), and her son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee).
Phil and George are brothers and it is immediately apparent that Phil is a bully. He repeatedly refers to George as ‘’fatso’’ and has contempt for anyone who does not ascribe to stereotypical masculine traits. He readily performs this toxic masculinity much to the amusement of his ranch hands. For example, when he openly mocks Peter for his lisp.
Benedict Cumberbatch plays the narcissistic and volatile Phil who relishes tormenting Rose from a distance. He is the physical embodiment of misogyny and toxic masculinity. This is apparent when he burns the handmade paper flowers Peter makes to decorate the tables of his mother’s inn. The very sight of perceived femininity or ‘weakness’ is something Phil seeks to destroy.
Cumberbatch could have easily overacted the volatility of his character. But each word and action he performs is slow and purposeful; because of this it has maximum impact. One can feel the fear at the thought of displeasing him or even challenging him. Phil’s refusal to bathe in preparation for his parents’ visit is a key example of his antisocial behaviour. While he dominates and bullies George, it is clear that he fears being abandoned by him as he struggles to sleep in their twin beds when he is alone. His need to dominate and dehumanize the people around him is a cruel and desperate ploy to maintain control and to hide his true vulnerability – homosexual attraction. As the story progresses, we realise that The Power of the Dog isn’t just about two rich ranch brothers. It’s also a ghost story about this hidden and forbidden desire.
As an audience we are repeatedly reminded of the only man that Phil respected, Bronco Henry. It’s clear that Phil and Bronco Henry had a close relationship and we see haunting reminders of him everywhere. The saddle, the yellowing handkerchief that Phil fondles in the secluded glade; his name is never far from Phil’s lips.
Kirsten Dunst offers an emotional and tortured performance as Rose, George’s new wife. The effects of living in close proximity with a narcissistic and misogynistic man becomes too much to bear as Rose succumbs to alcoholism. George is not oblivious to the effect his brother has on people. In one key scene, Rose teaches him to dance in the mountains and he is reduced to tears. Phil’s behavior has kept George isolated and alone and the relief he feels in Rose’s company is very moving. Plemons successfully portrays a man who is comfortable with his emotions and expresses them freely. The safety they both feel within each other allows their relationship to progress despite Phil’s attempts to thwart the nuptials. Phil’s hatred for Rose is motivated by his misogyny, self-hate, and fear of abandonment. Phil cannot live his truth and he despises Rose for taking his brother away, his source of narcissistic supply.
Kodi Smit-McPhee’s performance is one that should not be overlooked. What we observe is a brilliant and chilling presentation in which the battle of wits could go either way. As Peter, Smit-McPhee lures us into a false sense of security. We see Peter through Phil’s eyes; effeminate, weak and docile. With George’s money, Rose sends Peter to medical school to train to be a surgeon and it’s upon his return that we’re forced to question his innocence – think Fatal Attraction, just less unhinged. Peter is anything but sentimental, he is pragmatic. Up until this point, Peter has presented as a timid and gullible character but it’s this scene that raises the stakes. It makes the developing relationship between Phil and Peter more thrilling to watch as they are soon engaging as equals rather than predator versus prey.
Phil speaks of Bronco Henry with reverence and uses Henry’s reputation to grow close to Peter and eventually teaches him to ride horses. Again, he exerts his toxic masculinity and rather than help Peter when he begins to fall off his horse, insists his ranch hands not intervene. Instead, they leave Peter to ‘’figure it out’’. In a sense, Phil has ‘’figured out’’ how to conceal his true nature and it is only in the secluded glade that we see him truly vulnerable without his ranch costume and persona as armor.
There is an ambiguity between Phil and Peter and over time they grow closer. This drives Rose to drink more and the once optimistic and moralistic Rose slowly morphs into a frightened and anxious woman. Phil has discovered Rose’s Achilles’ heel, the more intimate his relationship with Peter becomes, the more unbalanced and distraught Rose behaves. Her husband, George, is away and she has no one to protect her from Phil’s targeted abuse and she is, in turn, unable to protect Peter. To avoid leaving evidence of his torment, Phil uses his words to abuse Rose. He belittles her attempts to play a piece of music on the piano during his parents’ visit and tortures her from a distance with his banjo as she tries to practice. This is how pervasive Phil’s influence is, he needn’t touch Rose to cause her distress. As an audience, we long for relief from watching this character assassination. But The Power of the Dog is a thrilling illustration of delayed gratification.
The cinematography is stunning and the use of music creates a sense of foreboding. We feel how vast the ranch is and how isolated the characters are from the outside world. There are several shots that are simply breathtaking; a favorite is the shot of the blood on the wheat during another scene that hints at Peter’s emotional detachment.
Based on the book of the same name, Jane Campion writes and directs a subtle battle for control and power – control over one’s image and power over the weak. She never lets us forget the impact of isolation and loss on the characters, the influence of ranch culture, the concept of disease and contagion. At 128 minutes long it is a well-paced movie, taking its time to develop the characters with all their complexity and letting these complexities unravel slowly. The performances are strong and the story is engaging.
The Power of the Dog explores the ‘’dog’’ that plagues us as individuals – whether it’s shame, depression, loss, addiction, loneliness or a desire to belong. True masculinity is not a performance of machismo; it is not the exertion of dominance and control over those seen as weak. They say that knowledge is power and in this case if you study your enemies and discover their true desires it’s possible to best them without betraying who you are.
Grade A+
