Straw Dogs (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Caution-possible spoilers ahead: The old Hollywood production code required that justice be rewarded and evil punished, the last genre to hold onto this concept was the Western (and prime time television). Violence was always highly selective; you might see the good guy wounded once in a while, but it was almost always the "deserving" bad guys who got killed. This reflected the U.S. mainstream view of violence and of pre-Viet Nam foreign affairs. What made 'The Wild Bunch' revolutionary was that Peckinpah made violence universal. Everyone stood in the same shade of gray/neutral moral middle-ground and everyone; men, women, children, dogs, and chickens were shot up in the final scene, regardless of their guilt or innocence (not unlike the diverse group of victims at Kent State in 1970).Then along comes 'Straw Dogs' and Peckinpah makes another violent anti-violence film where the moral distinctions between victims (be they physical or psychological victims) is again ambiguous.The film opens with a processional of Amy and 'Wannabee Amy' (Sally Thomsett in a dead-on Lolita performance) turning all the male heads as they walk through the village. And this introduces us to the parallel stories that will be taking place during the film. Amy will spend much of her time amusing herself by provocatively arousing a group of young men in the village. Thomsett's character will spend her time flirting with David (the Dustin Hoffman character) and with the village idiot (David Warner doing Lon Chaney's Lennie from 'Mice and Men'). Just one year removed from playing an innocent child in 'The Railway Children' Thomsett is perfect as every father's nightmare of a post-pubescent boy-crazy daughter.Peckinpah's theme is about personal responsibility (and irresponsibility) and how actions have consequences. Amy and 'Wannabee Amy' will play with fire during the first part of the movie. Amy will tease the young men of the village, will playfully run them off the road with her car, and will fearlessly challenge them about killing her cat. She will even become a willing participant in what starts out as forced sex with her former boyfriend. But Amy will suffer the consequences when this is followed up by an actual rape. 'Wannabee Amy' will seduce the village idiot and suffer the consequences when he panics and accidentally kills her.At this point Amy wants no more consequences from her irresponsibility. But David stubbornly insists on protecting the village idiot until the authorities arrive. When the magistrate arrives and is killed by the five goons outside their house, David pragmatically concludes that the goons cannot let Amy and him live, even if they turn over the village idiot. Once cornered David must fight and reverts to primitive animalistic behavior.I think Peckinpah is telling us that we still have an innate instinctual capacity for violence and instinctual responses to violence, that women are still excited and attracted by these displays and may consciously or subconsciously incite them. Call it part of the courtship ritual, it probably has an evolutionary function.In addition to the parallel story lines that occasionally touch each other before finally coming together and essentially ending, Peckinpah structures the film so that a third storyline then takes over. After Amy's need for excitement has set the events in motion and they have escalated beyond her control, she withdraws and refuses to deal with anything anymore. Her active role is then taken up by the formerly passive David, who until this point has been dodging confrontation. First he is pushed to a point where he stubbornly refuses to back down any further, and finally he is cornered with has no place to back down even if inclined to do so.I was very impressed with the work of the Production Designer on this film. The countryside, village, and house have a very uniform visual style that fits the storyline of a foreigner dealing with an insular community.I really have no problems with this film. I found it one of those few films that are riveting from the very start. During my initial viewing I recall hating the scene where David and Amy are arguing while sitting on opposite sides of the fireplace. I was mentally protesting 180-degree rule violations and the disorienting cuts. But by the end I realized that this visually reinforced the unraveling of their relationship; it is a good example of why movie-making conventions can be broken if breaking them advances the story line.'Straw Dogs' takes place in a Peckinpah world where men must be willing to do life's dirty work and anything else if they wish to survive, and where actions have consequences. This is a world where love has limits and might even be impossible.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Is this an anti-violent film? Or does Straw Dogs advocate the use of violence in extreame circumstanes?David Summner is a math academic. He and his English wife, Amy, move to England's countryside in 1971. Amy's home town. His wife implies early in the movie that they have gone there because David did not want to take a side during the campus upevil, a big issue in America in the early 70s. This was only a few years after the Columbia takeover, and Kent State.Neither David or Amy find the peace they look for in the UK. Both are soon confronted by the ruffian villagers, who are doing repair work at the Summners. One of them has been in jail, and the other had a long ago daliance with Amy. These are not nice man, but it hardly helps matters when Amy stops, topless, at a window in front of the workers. This is no justification for anything, but with these men and with 1971 standards, it is a foolish move.Eventually, the men distract David, and Amy is raped, first by her former suiter, and then much more forceably by another in the possee. She does not tell David, but, he knows. Still, he does not confront the men.But he does, the next day. When a disabled man accidently kills the daughter of one of the toughs, David accidently hits him in his car, and takes him home to care for him and protect him from the gang. The hoods arrive, and demand David hand him over. David refuses, and the men raid the house, setting fires, trying to get in.He has had enough, and David fends them off with guns, knives, and homemade hot acid he prepares on his stove. He is transformed: at one point, one of the men is bound, his neck on broken glass, and the once jellyfish David says "good, I hope you slit your throat." Amy at first refuses to help David, but he, slapping her, litterally threatens to kill her if she does not. "We're dead if they get in." he saysOne by one and with increasing relish, David kills all the men,On the surface, the arguement that this is a pro-violent film is pretty strong. David seems to get vindication for himself, and Amy, by confronting and winning the battle with these sociopaths.But at what price: David ends the film, clothes torn, blood stained,his home in ruins. He has hit his wife and crossed lines he can never uncross. Was he right? Did he have any other real options? What has this done to him at his core--he will cetianly never be the person he was before that night. His marrage: what is going to happen to both these people?In 1971, you could apply these questions to Vietnam, student uprisings, race riots. Now, you could ask: what do we do about an Osama Bin Ladin, a Taliban? How does a peaceful person act when confroted by an amoral bully? Eight years after 9/11, Abu Grabe, Gauntonamo Bay, are WE ever going to be the same? What has the unthinkable made US do?This film is not going to answer any of the questions it poeses in a way that makes thinking people feel comforable. But, then and now, it does provide a context in which we can think about when violence is really needed, and how we deal with it when it is. Straw Dogs shows the COST of violence.At the end of the film, the disabled man says "I don't know my way home.""That's ok," replies David."I don't know, either."

Good

Item as described, prompt shipment. Thank you

Great stand your ground movie, Dustin was great

Criterion, they are the masters of reviving old, classic and obscure films. Straw Dogs has never looked better! The last time I saw this movie was on VHS, and it honestly looked so bad then I thought I was looking at a European soap opera, complete with cigarette burns, scratches, faded color, and pops and hisses. Well, glad to say, Criterion has cleaned up the picture to immaculate perfection. The cinematography here really pops. I couldn't believe I was looking at a film from the early '70's.In addition to the film looking completely restored and fantastic, you will see some awesome special features. "The Final Cut" is a 2003 documentary which interviews members from the cast and crew and invites them to recall their experiences, and even join in an excursion the to the farm house seen in the film where all the graphic violence takes place!The real gem, however, is the 1993 documentary, called "Sam Peckinpah: Man of Iron", with a running time of 82 minutes. Apparently, it is just an excerpt from a longer documentary, but this will satisfy your appetite for the purposes of this blu-ray! It's a very entertaining and informative documentary, featuring many interview from Kris Kristofferson, LQ Jones, Jason Robards and James Coburn. Great stuff, very revealing!!If you have any interest in Sam Peckinpah or The American New Wave Movement ('70's Cinema) then you should certainly see this version of the movie for your viewing pleasure!

Edizione strepitosa con una qualità d’immagine e audio eccezionale (probabilmente la stessa delle celebre edizione americana Criterion) e tanti extra interessanti, come le interviste. Il film è da Top 3 della filmografia di Peckinpah, dietro al Mucchio selvaggio e Pat Garrett e Billy The Kid : un caposaldo di brutalità da vedere e rivedere con un Dustin Hoffman è una Susan George in stato di grazia.

『わらの犬』(Straw Dogs)('71)出演∶ダスティン・ホフマン、スーザン・ジョージ、ピーター・ヴォーン、デイヴィッド・ワーナー(ノンクレジット)、Ｔ・Ｐ・マッケンナ、デル・ヘニー、ケン・ハッチソン、コリン・ウェランド、サリー・トムセット、ドナルド・ウェブスター、レン・ジョーンズ、マイケル・マンデル、ピーター・アーン監督∶サム・ペキンパー※↑冒頭の「一生忘れない映画」は､"いい意味で忘れられない"ということです(念のため)｡映画ファンになったばかりの10歳代半ば頃に見て､強烈なインパクトを受けた映画が数本ある。その中の１本だ。一見おとなしそうな人間､ガサツだが素朴そうな人間､暴力とは無縁そうな人間……どんな人間の中にも潜む暴力衝動や獣性が､ふとしたキッカケでむき出しになり､予想もしなかった惨劇を生む。高校に入ったばかりの少年にとっては､大袈裟に言えば､人間観が変わるほど衝撃的な映画体験だった。……という冷静な考えは､じつは後付け。最初に見た時の15歳の自分は､粗暴な田舎者のあんちゃんたちにロコツな嫌がらせや意地悪をされても､すべて善意に解釈するフリをして何もしない平和主義者の主人公の弱腰にイラついて､「さっさと反撃してブチのめしてやれよ!」と思ってました。主人公が反撃に転じるクライマックスでは､心の中で快哉を叫ぶこともあった。後になって考えるに､この映画の登場人物たち(気弱で臆病な数学者､素朴なはずの地方青年､知的障害者や彼を身内に持つ普通の男など)の内にも暴力性向が潜むことに納得すると同時に､自分を含めた観客もみな同じ性向を内包していることに気づかされた気がする。数々のヴァイオレンス描写や緊迫した人間ドラマやサスペンスを散りばめた娯楽映画であると同時に､人間の本性を見つめた問題作だ。[物語] アメリカ人の宇宙数学者デイヴィッド·サムナー(ホフマン)は､暴力に満ちたアメリカを逃れ､妻エイミー(ジョージ)の生まれ故郷のイギリス､コーンウォール州の片田舎に移住した。周囲に煩わされない静かな環境で､研究に没頭したいと願うデイヴィッド。だが､知識階級丸出しのよそ者のアメリカ人と､ノーブラで闊歩する美人の若妻は､地元民たちから完全に浮いており､嫌でも目を引いた。古い家屋を借りて落ち着いたサムナー夫妻は､地元の若者たち数名を納屋などの修理に雇う。その中には､妻エイミーの元カレ､チャーリー(ヘニー)もいた。田舎町の男たちは､気のいい素朴な良民などではなく､酒場に屯するボス格で粗野なトム·ヘデン(ヴォーン)らは､デイヴィッドをからかいと嘲笑の対象として扱い､地元の名士で判事のスコット少佐(マッケンナ)も敵対視し､知的障害のあるヘンリー青年(ワーナー)はロコツな差別対象だった。ある日､デイヴィッドは地元の青年たちに誘われて､狩りに出掛ける。青年たちは､狩り場にデイヴィッドを残して消え､その間にチャーリーとスカット(ハッチソン)が､留守宅に忍び入ってエイミーをレイプしてしまう。エイミーはそのことを秘密にしたまま､夫妻は住民が集まる牧師館の募金パーティに出席する。レイプ犯らも平然と出席しており､いたたまれないエイミーは､夫を急かして牧師館をあとにする。その頃､ボス格ヘデンの娘ジャニス(トムセット)は､頭の弱いヘンリー青年を誘惑するようにパーティ会場の外に連れ出す。いたずら半分のその行為が､その後の惨劇の始まりだった。車で帰宅途中のデイヴィッドとエイミー夫妻は､怪我をしたヘンリーを拾って連れ帰ることになる。そんな彼らを待っていたのは常軌を逸した暴力と殺戮の嵐だった……。古いことなので記憶が曖昧だが､何かの記事でこの映画がイギリスでは上映禁止になったと読んだ記憶がある。どこまでホントか､尾ヒレの有無も不明だが､平和なイギリスの地方の人々の間で暴力やレイプが日常化しているかのような内容に怒った女王が上映禁止にさせたとか……(笑)　いずれにしろ､"犯罪王国"アメリカからイギリスに逃れてきた平和主義者が､アメリカ以上の暴力にさらされるという内容は､イギリス人には不愉快ですよね("国辱もの"ってヤツですか)。私の一番好きな映画監督は､本作の監督サム·ペキンパーだ。私の初めての"ペキンパー体験"となったのが､この『わらの犬』だ。もっとも､私が彼を好きなのは､主に"最後の西部劇監督"としての彼なので､本作を見て即､彼のファンになったわけではなかった。しかし､彼にとって初めての現代劇『わらの犬』の強烈なインパクトがなかったら､遡って『昼下りの決斗』『ダンディー少佐』『ワイルドバンチ』『砂漠の流れ者』などを見てみたいと思わなかっただろう。[余談] 妻エイミー役がスーザン·ジョージでなかったら､この映画､ここまでの成功はなかったと思う。彼女の出演作で有名なのは『わらの犬』と『ダーティ·メリー クレイジー·ラリー』ぐらいだと思うが､それだけで彼女は'70年代を代表する女優の一人になったと言ってもいい気がする。

A somewhat far-fetched story made credible by director Sam Peckinpah and his cast and crew.Definitely controversial because the film suggests the female lead, played by Susan George, brought on her rape by the way she dressed and behaved. Peckinpah's reputation as a misogynist supports this view.Regardless, the film's final half hour really delivers the goods and makes the whole exercise worthwhile.Similar to Deliverance in that there are no winners, only non-heroic survivors.

This is the original and best version of this movie. Arrived before due, in excellent condition.

Excellent concert d'Alice Cooper.A voir absolument merciExcellent produit a voir et à revoir.Vous ne serez pas decus.