#13 We just watched this on Netflix streaming. You should too!: Dogtooth

The Film: Dogtooth

This film is based on a few teenagers whose parents restrict them from the outside world and create a warped reality for their children. Think of this movie as what The Village should have been. It is a Greek film that doesn’t hold back in regards to psychosexual analysis, incestous hints, and its look at human beings who have no societal compass for their moral inclinations.

The movie explores ideas an American film would never even hint at and delves deep into the morbid world of human beings who try to manipulate others through authoritarian control.

Why to watch it: It is fucking daring

It deals with taboos with an unflinching eye. The camera doesn’t dare look away. The director’s style reminds me of Kubrick’s. Yeah, I know, “Nobody can be like Kubrick”, but Yorgos Lanthimos is a world talent.

He composes his shots with a static, wide screen lens. he looks at body parts, situations, and images that shock the viewer. Many directors would cut away to different scene, or element of the scene to lighten the visual effect, but Lanthimos cuts closer, making the audience uncomfortable.

Pay attention to this: I hate to say this over again, but the visual compositions.

The visual compositions are first rate. The style seems dreamy with diffused light and soft colors, making the image surreal and creepily atmostpheric. What struck me the most was the wide shots and static camera. In the Greengass/Bay smashcut era it is odd that a director would choose to shoot in such a way.

It is dangerous and can be boring. Instead, the camera is placed in a specific place, covering a huge amount of space, but somehow remains interesting, if not dynamic.

Much will be said about the mildly pornopgraphic material, the incestuous themes, and other cutting-edge elements. But what cannont be ignored is the craftmanship it takes to make these subjects interesting, believable, and most importantly, not exploitative.

My brother called this movie one of the best movies of 2010 and, indeed, it is. It sits with a microscope and, not only ponders the effects of homeschooling, religious extremism, etc., but what life would be like if our universe was built around pretenses created by nefarious people.

The movie was nominated for an Oscar and proves, if anything, that Americans are ready for films for Adults. Considering that this movie would likely receive an NC-17 rating if it was made by Americans. It is unrated and is, again, proof positive that the MPAA is broken. An Oscar nominated movie that does not receive a rating makes it more accessible to young children who, except for rare cases, should not see it.

-Collin