Rich ranch owners Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Burbank (Jesse Plemons) meet the widow and innkeeper Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst) and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-Peter McPhee) on a cattle drive in Montana.
During their stay at the mother-son’s eatery, the fiery Phil, influenced by his late mentor Bronco Henry, makes fun of her son's lisp and effeminate demeanor. To the amusement of his herders, he even burnt Peter's handcrafted flowers. George was ashamed of this, so before they left he apologized to Rose for the trouble. She cried and George found himself falling for her beauty.
Their ranch was not far away from Rose’s, so George travels everyday to meet her. Phil was suspicious, he dislikes her because he believes that she’s only after his brother’s money. But alas, George and Rose soon married and they even moved in in their farmhouse. Not only that, Peter will stay with them during the summer. It feels like nothing would stop them in infiltrating his peaceful life, so he decided to let it be known his detestment towards them.
“The Power of the Dog” comes from Psalm 22:20: “Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.” A description of the suffering of Jesus Christ during His crucifixion. The term "dog" is used as an adversary in the text because dogs were once regarded "rabid" or dangerous, and Jews saw them as filthy scavenger animals rather than pets. Symbolically it means the strong force that will destroy the hero. A some sort of foreshadowing of what is to come.
Campion's sure-footed film is not about religion (although there are a bit of religion undertone) or animals, it is about bitterness, grief, and loneliness. Probably even deeper than those since it progresses into darker territory as it nears its conclusion.
"The Power of the Dog" goes at a slow and steady pace. But once it gets going, it is wild and rabid. The closing minutes, where everything comes together, would definitely brings chills down everyone’s spine.
All the casts brought their A-game. Cumberbatch portrays a cowboy version of his Sherlock Holmes, barking his lines with heartfelt spite and snide that it’s impossible not to hate him. His powerful presence and visceral intensity contrasted perfectly with Plemons' cool and collected George, resulting in a compelling power struggle between the two brothers.
Perhaps the only flaw of "The Power of the Dog" was its glacial pace. Yes, the performances were amazing; even the most understated performances, such as Kodi Smit-Peter McPhee's Gordon is remarkable. However, the story takes far too long to form and reveal itself, and it is far too meandering to warrant the two-hour length.
Nevertheless, Campion's directing never skipped a beat. It is still magnificent. She once again demonstrated her status as one of the great storytellers of this generation.
