Black Dog

I had no idea idea what to expect when I saw this movie. It was slow moving but fully engrossing. It is set amongst a somewhat grim environment but really opened my eyes to how people exist in some parts of China. It is an austere existence, barren and treeless yet the town is gearing up for the 2008 Beijing Olympics with propaganda blasted over the loudspeakers in true communist China fashion.

Although it is a sobering film, there are several parts that are quite humorous and while it isn't heavy on dialogue, it is what NOT is said that makes you think.

I can see what this was a winner at CANNES.

The Gobi desert is impressive in its desolation, but what's even more so is the desolation of this run-down small town just before the Beijing Olympic Games from 2008. I don't think I have ever seen something quite like it, on screen or in reality. This is dystopia on earth, in the not so distant past. I guess it's the only thing quietly criticizing the regime or showing the failure of Chinese society, good thing the movie is focused on something else entirely and probably that's how it got past censorship, but I am still impressed.

No animals were harmed during the making of this movie. Kidding. No, but seriously, I do not understand how they made this movie. Packs of stray dogs, it's the humans that are guilty. How many dogs this town has managed to abandon is again impressive.

Should have ended with the animals roaming free on the town streets, that felt like the climax of the movie and had a bit of a surreal feel.

Is dog man the equivalent of cat lady?

It didn't quite work for me, despite what my eyes were able to take in. I couldn't connect to the character or even root for him in particular. The plot felt aimless. Those bozos chasing him for revenge kept popping up and doing the most heinous things and then they would let it go. And then again. It made no sense. And honestly after the snakes they were irredeemable. In fact quite a lot of questionable characters here. Our lead is not particularly sympathetic either.

But OMG Jia Zhangke acts in this movie! I was actually comparing the look to Unknown Pleasures. I guess he wanted to support the movie.

Many films about the special relationship between man and his four-legged best friend have been made over the years, and it's a formula that nearly always manages to please. So it is with the latest offering from writer-director Guan Hu, the story of a former inmate who's been paroled to his hometown on the fringe of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China after 10 years in prison for a manslaughter conviction, an incident in which he had apparently become unwittingly involved. As he seeks to make amends for his past and start his life over, former motorcycle stunt artist/musician Lang Yonghui (Eddie Peng) returns to his roots as China had become engaged in an aggressive, ongoing national program of upgrading its infrastructure in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In this case, this undertaking is a much-needed improvement for a faltering community that has become seriously run down and depopulated. And that exodus, in turn, has created a secondary problem: as many former residents departed, they abandoned their pets (especially dogs), creating a population of strays that has now ballooned to overwhelming proportions. Given this preponderance of feral canines - many of whom have become unruly, vicious and a public health risk - local authorities are in desperate need of help in rounding them up. In light of that, as part of Lang's government-sanctioned reintegration program, he is assigned to a job in animal control. But, as something of an unassuming soft touch, he struggles to carry out his duties. That becomes particularly true when he's charged with corralling a gaunt, mangy, assertively territorial black dog (Xin) suspected of having rabies, a scenario that leads to a decidedly belligerent confrontation between man and beast. However, once the stray is in custody, Lang and his captive begin developing an unexpectedly close bond. Lang ends up adopting the pooch, and they thus embark on an odyssey of self-discovery for themselves and one another as they work through issues of their own making and the exploration of their newfound relationship. The result is a heartwarming tale filled with genuine affection and loving mutual support, admittedly sometimes a tad obvious in their depiction but undoubtedly always sincere to the core. The narrative truly works best when it focuses on this primary relationship, a story thread that, regrettably, is sometimes intruded upon a little too much by an array of subplots whose variable, sometimes under-explained development and occasionally meandering nature can detract from what works best. Nevertheless, these minor distractions aside, "Black Dog" is an otherwise-engaging, enjoyable saga of two outcasts in search of redemption and the wonders that the power of friendship can work for those looking to get their lives back on track. But, then, that's why our four-legged furry companions have deservedly earned their reputation as man's best friends. This winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard Award and Independent Spirit Award nominee for Best International Film is available for streaming online.

Black Dog is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of human resilience and the complexities of morality. Directed with remarkable subtlety, the film masterfully blends psychological depth with poetic storytelling, creating an experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

The strength of Black Dog lies in its characters. Each one is richly drawn, with motivations and struggles that feel deeply authentic. The protagonist's journey is portrayed with such raw vulnerability that it's impossible not to empathize, even as their decisions veer into morally ambiguous territory. The supporting cast elevates the narrative further, delivering performances that are understated yet profoundly affecting.

Visually, the film is a masterpiece. The cinematography captures both the starkness and the beauty of the settings, using light and shadow to evoke an atmosphere of tension and melancholy. The use of symbolism is subtle but powerful, adding layers of meaning without feeling forced or pretentious.

The pacing is deliberate but never dull, allowing the story to unfold organically. This measured approach heightens the emotional impact, drawing the audience deeper into the characters' world. The soundtrack, too, deserves special mention-it complements the narrative perfectly, blending traditional and modern elements to underscore key moments.

At its core, Black Dog is a meditation on survival and redemption. It challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about human nature while offering a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.

This movie is not what I have expected. I was forced to sit through it with a very uninteresting viewing experience. The screen play is quite boring, loosely knitted together with no energy, no steam at all, but just a lifeless narration. What we saw in this movie is a dying town in the northern China, the livelihood is totally gone after the mining business died. What left is a pathetic town with so many ruined and empty buildings, just like what we saw in Flint, Indiana. The leading character, the protagonist as movie critics or veteran reviewers used to describe, Peng, seems to be an bad choice for such ex-con character, a complete out-of-the-place actor to play this role. His dialogue in this movie is minimum in order to portray that this guy is a loner who belongs to nowhere, even in prison, albeit his so-called hometown. There is not much to tell in this movie, and I really failed to see how the director of this movie would have won some nominations as the best director. Maybe less is more is the current trendy. Making a black stray dog as the co-acting role is just not interested enough to stimulate my urge that would give me any passion or empanthy to the whole storyline. I felt quite impatient when I watched this movie. All of the characters who appeared in this movie, those folks, young or old, cops or civilians who tried to get by in a dying town are interested enough, just like their boring dialogue to each other, to the leading role who looked more like a half dumb or deaf person. If a town is dying, if all the town folks are poor, if all of them lose hope, if their daily lives are all so boring, what would enable to make a movie interesting? Even you put a seasoned actor like Peng to play the leading character, how much he could possibly make this boring town with so many boring town folks become a bit more interesting? A spiritless young man and a black stray dog is as boring as Hemingway's "The Old Man and The Sea", other than somewhat literary values that usually was glorified as "Literature". Trying to tell you that "Black Dog" has certain philosophic depth is just a pretentious view that tries to look deep. How could you get anything out of nothing?