Straw Dogs is banned on TV and video in the United Kingdom.
Allegedly, the violence and sex in it are too much, even for adult
viewers. I find this argument preposterous, since the film is less
violent than Reservoir Dogs, less sexually explicit than Damage,
and less mindless than any 18-certifcate Arnold Schwarzenegger
film of the 80s or 90s.
It tells of an American scientist living in a backwoods part of
Cornwall who is humiliated and attacked by the locals when he
tries to protect a mentally ill man from them. These same locals
also take a liking to his wife, and in one famous scene, they rape
her while he is out duck shooting.
The rape scene is effective, but not really as offensive as people
have suggested. There's a weirdness about it, because the victim
Susan George seems to encourage her attackers rather than
resist them, and this is one of the main reasons that the scene
has been condemned by so many. However, I felt that it merely
added to the character's actions and made the rape believable
rather than exploitative.
This is one of Peckinpah's best, with only Cross of Iron, The Wild
Bunch and Ride the High Country in the same league. It's hard to
enjoy, but equally hard to forget.
Allegedly, the violence and sex in it are too much, even for adult
viewers. I find this argument preposterous, since the film is less
violent than Reservoir Dogs, less sexually explicit than Damage,
and less mindless than any 18-certifcate Arnold Schwarzenegger
film of the 80s or 90s.
It tells of an American scientist living in a backwoods part of
Cornwall who is humiliated and attacked by the locals when he
tries to protect a mentally ill man from them. These same locals
also take a liking to his wife, and in one famous scene, they rape
her while he is out duck shooting.
The rape scene is effective, but not really as offensive as people
have suggested. There's a weirdness about it, because the victim
Susan George seems to encourage her attackers rather than
resist them, and this is one of the main reasons that the scene
has been condemned by so many. However, I felt that it merely
added to the character's actions and made the rape believable
rather than exploitative.
This is one of Peckinpah's best, with only Cross of Iron, The Wild
Bunch and Ride the High Country in the same league. It's hard to
enjoy, but equally hard to forget.