Montana 1925: When driving their cattle to the market, rancher brothers Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons) regularly stop at Rose's (Kirsten Dunst) roadhouse, where Rose's somewhat effeminate, teenaged son Peter (Kodi Smith-McPhee) regularly becomes the butt of Phil's jokes, as the boy's attitude doesn't fit Phil's very old-fashioned picture of masculinity, something he oozes from every pore of his body. Phil's jokes are so cruel at times that they make Rose cry. Phil's brother George on the other hand has taken to Rose, and eventually asks for her hand in marriage, which she gladly accepts. This means though for Rose and Peter to Phil and George's ranch - the biggest in the area for sure, and a place equipped with all the modern amenities. Thing is, Phil has never approved of George's marriage, and now that he's forced to accept it, he does his best to make Rose and Peter's life hell. Rose soon takes to drinking, so much so that she becomes a full-blown alcoholic. Peter on the other hand eventually finds Phil's secret place, somewhere deep in the woods, somewhere where he lives out his homoerotic fantasies that are in harsh contrast to his public image. When Phil notices Peter has found him out, he drastically changes his attitude towards the boy and tries the hardest to become his friend - and after a time it seems he's even drawn to him. But is Peter's response in kind really honest, or is he planning something more sinister?

In regards to imagery, The Power of the Dog sure is reminiscent to epic westerns of old, but when it comes to storyline, the film's anything but epic, a rather intimate and slowburn character study with elements of culture clash and tradition vs progress elegantly woven into the script, something that's also reflected in the direction that has its epic imagery every now and again juxtaposed with pictures you'd not expect to find in westerns, often with overt homoerotic subtexts. And thanks to an uniformly strong cast, the story really comes to life. That said, true, it's slowburn and often not all that much seems to happen, but it's worth one's patience.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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