Straw Dogs

The seventies in full glory and just the way we like it in the film industry. An intimate tale of cruel psychological harm and its consequences, delivered without unnecessary clichés and with a searing intensity that lies not so much in the final bloody scene as in the way Peckinpah conveys the plot. Repulsive villagers at every turn, a suffocating atmosphere permeating even between the central married couple, all with excellent editing and music, through which Peckinpah lets the viewer experience the story of the main characters far more intensely than just by sight and sound. Also, Hoffman, as a very atypical film hero, confirmed his enormous acting talent and a large part of the film belongs to him. Ironically, my complete satisfaction is prevented by the final thrilling carnage, which, despite all the precision, seemed somewhat unbelievable, and also by the unclear and strange attitude of the female protagonist (whose side was she on in the end?). Otherwise, however, this is an excellent spectacle in all respects, the quality of which is not matched only by the Oscar nomination for music. (08/06/2013)

The slow beginning is a shame, this film would deserve the highest score otherwise. The final half hour is brilliant and the depressive aftermaths are really impressive. Straw Dogs is one of the most representative yokels-in-action type of films and, together with Deliverance, is one of the cornerstones of the hixploitation horror subgenre – and that is enough for me to like it. (03/09/2008)

This return to the 1970s in the company of Dustin Hoffman and with Sam Peckinpah’s brilliant direction made me very happy. Straw Dogs is distinguished by its tense atmosphere, unconventional protagonist and, especially, female sexuality portrayed in an animal-like and instinctive fashion, which typical of Peckinpah’s works and never matched by anyone else in mainstream films. I wonder why this didn’t get an Academy Award nomination for editing. Was this film too spontaneous and sensuous, not textbook-smooth enough for the Academy? (20/01/2012)

To consider the movie "Scarecrows" solely as a redneck horror film is definitely short-sighted. It is a film that brings up quite interesting questions in us, regarding what we are willing to do to protect our loved ones. And where is the boundary that we can still cross? Is there even a limit that we cannot approve of anymore? Or is it all just because we are able to awaken the beast within us, and gladly let it rage? Very unsettling, even after such a long time. Some movies simply don't age. (05/02/2014)

A year before Boorman’s Deliverance, Peckinpah came along with an almost identical idea. The only difference is the setting in the Highlands of Scotland. That’s where American physicist David moves with his English wife with slightly loose morals. The excellent steady rise in tension and perfect actors are the main pluses. Straw Dogs will no longer provoke such controversy as when it was released, but even so, it has much to offer even to today’s viewer. (07/07/2007)