Forced to follow the customs

Bernhard 2022-01-13 08:03:48

The 2011 version of "Straw Dog" is closer to the taste of modern people in viewing. The structure of the story is deep and simple, the relationship between the characters is clear and clear, and it also adds a very contemporary element. The film is much gentler in terms of the texture of the picture and the portrayal of violence. It lacks Sam’s Cult flavor. Compared with the old version, it does not go too far on the theme of "the world is inhumane, and everything is a dog", but Work hard on the differences in culture and lifestyle, and the choice of shocking points at the end is also different from the old version.
James is really the best choice for the male protagonist. His neat white teeth and sunny smile can make people feel his shyness and cowardice. It can be seen that there is a kind of compassionate contempt and contempt for his wife's hometown. It is this contradictory and complicated mood that changed the male protagonist's family life and led to the final fatal crisis. The protagonist’s weak and shy personality forms a huge contrast with the rugged and unrestrained customs of southern towns. Rod Larry wanted this feeling. He didn’t copy the old version and made a fuss about civilization, freedom and democracy. In this way, the new version seems to be simpler and more direct.
The male protagonist and his fiancée came to his fiancée’s hometown, a small town in the South of the United States. They didn’t want to have too much contact with the locals, and they didn’t mean to go home to save their relatives. They just wanted to ask for a paradise and feel at ease. writing. If it weren’t for the damaged roof of the warehouse, maybe the male protagonist wouldn’t even bother to look at these locals. In the eyes of the locals, these people from big cities are fresh and interesting. Both sides have a traditional and customary concept of communication. That is, the former is proud and superior, and the latter is rude and inferior. The male protagonist has no intention to change anything with the civility and politeness of the big city. He has contempt for this group of people in his eyes but on the surface he is respectful.
This southern town is indeed a bit rough. Let’s see what hobbies the aboriginal people have. Beer and American football. The social status of football coaches is even higher than that of the police chief. What are the rules and politeness? It’s even more unheard of. Everyone’s temperament is greater than rationality. If you drink less or drink slowly, you will be looked down upon. This is a bit like some cities in the north, and the situation of the male protagonist is really like a person from a large southern city. Arrived in a certain county in the northeast.
But no matter where you are, the word "li" still needs to be present. You walk into your house swaggeringly, open the refrigerator and drink beer. If you don’t care about it, then kill your pet and do something crazier someday. Shouldn't it become a "traditional virtue"? At the beginning, the law was born because the moral standards were not strong binding, but you should know that the hometown of the hero and his future daughter-in-law is adhering to the principle of "Football first, law second", so in the end, In terms of the solution, Rod learned from Sam to adopt the "violence for violence" approach. This is also the most attractive part of the straw dog. After all, personality characteristics are not the only condition for being able to master violence. The key to violence is Who can first realize that there is you but not me. When the incarnation of the law is killed by spiritual belief, then everyone will not be stunned. Survival is threatened at a minimum. The last thing to fight is the psychological bottom line and IQ. Both the new version and the old version are focused on the reversal of the final protagonist. The breakthrough of the new version is to aggravate the heroine’s violent scenes, and the male protagonist’s psychological transformation is more thorough. Look at the big beast traps. When you stepped on it, you took the initiative to rush to people's heads. In the end, all the reservedness and shyness were reduced to ashes with the raging fire in the warehouse.

View more about Straw Dogs reviews

Extended Reading

Straw Dogs quotes

  • David Sumner: [to Amy] Get your daddy's gun and shoot anyone that's not me.

  • [last lines]

    David Sumner: I got 'em all.

Related Articles