Straw Dogs
1971
A quiet, peace-loving American moves with his English wife to an isolated village where he is harrassed by town bullies. He is finally pushed into a violent confrontation in order to protect himself and his wife. Read more
| Starring | Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, Peter Vaughan |
|---|---|
| Director | Sam Peckinpah |
| Genres | Drama |
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Straw Dogs
A quiet, peace-loving American moves with his English wife to an isolated village where he is harrassed by town bullies. He is finally pushed into a violent confrontation in order to protect himself and his wife.
| Starring | Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, Peter Vaughan |
|---|---|
| Director | Sam Peckinpah |
| Studio | FREMANTLE MEDIA |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 53 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 56 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English |
| Released | DVD: 23 Aug 2004 Blu-ray: not available Production year: 1971 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (4)
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Mild-mannered maths teacher Dustin Hoffman finds his manhood tested when he moves to a Cornish village and the local toughs viciously rape his wife, Susan George, and threaten his home. One of the key movies in the controversial 1970s debate about unacceptable screen violence (it was released in the same year as Dirty Harry and A Clockwork Orange), director Sam Peckinpah's cynical parable virtually states that all pacifists are violent thugs under their liberal exteriors. Reprehensible and disturbing in equal measure, this pitch black revenge drama remains potent and shocking, particularly the much-discussed gang rape scene — the censors were concerned that George's character was unconsciously “asking for it”. Those with a nervous disposition should approach with caution.
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A Western transferred to the far west of England, where it fits uneasily. Yet this drama of a man redeemed by violence is well-made, full of tension and its release, as well as showing Peckinpah at his most misogynistical.
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Most helpful member's review
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20 out of 22 people found this review helpful
Not pleasant, but unmissable.
The controversy that surrounded this film may have sold tickets, but it distracts from the true qualities of the film. Some film catalogues apparently bill this as ?horror?, and much of it?s reputation is based on the violence (ungraphic by today's standrds)of the last third. I think the publicity of the time ran along the lines ?From the man who unloosed the Wild Bunch comes Hoffman unleashed?. But that would have been was the studio publicity department idea, not Peckinpah?s.
This is a far deeper, more subtle film than all that would suggest. It is about violence, but it?s about the
unpredictability of the consequences of violence; about how it solves nothing, but once started can gain a life and momentum of its own. It?s also a film about isolation, about failures of connection and communication.
Hoffman is good as the quite outsider, ineffectual, afraid of confrontation, and an easy target for the ribbing jokes of the local bad boys. Susan George, though, is outstanding as his wife. Initially she displaying a perfect naive innocence in her use of her sexuality to, she thinks, harmlessly tease the men around her. But, says Peckinpah, actions have consequences, intended or not.
It?s how George portrays her character?s reactions to the consequences that marks her as a far better actress than her other work did justice to. There?s the rape scheme itself, of course, in which little is actually seen, yet draws its power from the close-ups of her facial reaction shots. There?s the bedroom scheme that follows it, where the gulf between her and her husband, their total failure to communicate, is highlighted. And there?s the scheme at the village concert party, where, almost wordlessly, George conveys her internal horror, guilt, and torment at what?s been done to her.
Its not a pleasant film, and it's without conventional heroes and villains. Hoffman?s character is deeply flawed in his failure to relate to his wife on any meaningful level, or to provide emotional or physical security. When he finally is pushed to make a stand, its not over her at all, and he doesn?t even know about the rape; it?s only partly over protecting David Warner?s character. It?s really about defending the house itself, the house that, he says, ?is me?.
It?s only when there is the first killing that he intellectually, not emotionally, rationalises that there is now no going back - ?if they get in now they?ll have to kill us all?. The violence has taken on a life of its own.
With the exception of Norman, the villains are not really all bad. The father (Peter Vaughn) has at least legitimate cause for anger; Charlie does try to calm things down; the Rat Man had tried to connect with Hoffman, but failed.
Oh, and all that rubbish about Peckinpah being misogynistic, about portraying the rape as if the woman ?had asked for it? and was to blame for it? Just watch the film. It?s far more complex, and sympathetic, than that. -
Most recent members' review
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7 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Past sell by date
Thought I would give this film a re run since first viewing a number of years ago. It was a good film in its time but has now lost its impact. Nostalgia sometimes isn't a good thing.
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News and features
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Peckinpah Convoy to get remake
- 09 Dec 2005
Sam Peckinpah's trucking movie Convoy is set to be remade. The film, which originally starred Kris Kristofferson and Ernest Borgnine, will be directed for the second time by John Singleton, the man behind Boyz 'N The Hood, 2 Fast 2 Furious and this year's sleeper hit Four Brothers. The original, based on a country and western song, told the story of a group of truckers who take revenge on a small town sheriff by creating a mile-long convoy. Singleton's version will be set in Afghanistan and... Read more
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Straw Dogs - BLU-RAY Version
In Sam Peckinpah's brutal thriller, a quiet, peace-loving American (Dustin Hoffman) moves with his British-born wife (Susan George) to an isolated English village where he is constantly harassed by the locals. He is finally pushed into a violent confrontation in order to protect himself and his ...
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Straw Dogs
A quiet, peace-loving American moves with his English wife to an isolated village where he is harrassed by town bullies. He is finally pushed into a violent confrontation in order to protect himself and his wife....
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