Reviews

5/10

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

My main problem with this film was the fact that I couldn't really sympathise with the two main characters. I thought Liddel, the Scottish sprinter who ran for God, lacked any real warmth or compassion and it was difficult to feel real pity for Harold Abrahams, the supposedly victimised English Jew, when the only repression he encountered was a few comments from upper-class twits whist living a life of luxury at Cambridge University. The way the film develops, you expect the two "rivals" to compete against each other at the end of the film to tie the two stories together. The fact that they don't is not really a criticism (it is afterall a true story), it just feels strange if you are used to Hollywood films. The famous opening and closing scenes are by far the best moments of this film although they serve no purpose in the plotline.

6/10

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Hoffman contributes one of his finest performances and Peckinpah provides his usual intelligent direction. The violence is shocking but not as graphic as Kubrik's "A Clockwork Orange" from the same year (1971). Possibly the main reason that the film caused so much offence on its release (it was subsequently banned in the UK for 25 years) is its neolithic sexual politics - particularly the ambiguous "rape" scene.

Hoffman plays David Sumner, a quiet and passive mathematician locked in an intricate power struggle with his English wife Amy (Susan George). The couple have recently moved to the remote Cornish village where Amy was brought up, ironically to escape the potential for violence in America. During the first half of the film, we see the couple playing a series of chess games, which Peckinpah uses to symbolize the constant mind-games the couple are playing. Although playful, each "player" is intent on gaining the upper hand, with Amy seemingly winning each time.

David also has to contend with a group of local villagers who seem intent on making his life miserable and are responsible for a series of unpleasant acts designed to unsettle him. Perhaps the worst thing for David is that his wife seems to encourage the attentions of the group when they start leering at her. By the end of the film, the relentless provocation from all sides finally pushes David to breaking point as he embarks on an unforgettable spree of violence.

Sumner's transition from mild-mannered husband to ruthless murderer is sudden rather than gradual. His explosive outburst is simply the result of not being able to stand the frustration and humiliation welling up inside him any longer. Peckinpah's triumph is his manipulation of the audience to such an extent that even the most refined viewer is acquiesced to rooting for David as he is reduced to behaving in a way that goes against everything he (and a civilized society) stands for. No matter how much we think we have progressed, the primal instinct of violence is still buried somewhere inside every man.

The film is generally well-acted and Jerry Fielding was nominated for an Oscar for a compelling score. However, Straw Dogs is let down by a slow beginning and the lengthy final scene may be a bit too gratuitous for some people's tastes.

9/10

CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS

On the surface, TISM tells the story of Scott Carey, a normal healthy American, who encounters a strange chemical cloud whilst on holiday with his wife. The film follows his plight as he slowly starts to shrink until eventually he can barely be seen at all, using some fairly amusing special effects along the way. However, during its final third, the film reveals deep existential undertones which culminate in Carey's memorable final monologue. Having come to terms with his emasculation, he begins to ponder the meaning of man's existence in a speech reminiscent of Sartre or Camus: "I was continuing to shrink, to become what? The infintessimal? What was I? Still a human being? To God there is no zero. I still exist."

Unfortunately this cult classic is only available on VHS in the USA and completely unavailable in the UK.