Dogtooth is probably one of the weirdest and most disturbing films I have seen in a while. It follows parents who keep their three children isolated from the world in their private estate. Never allowed to communicate or see the outside world, the children are strange to say the least. The parents tell them words have different meanings such as a zombie is a little yellow flower. This is all I knew about the film before watching it and I thought it sounded like an interesting social experiment kind of film but it is much more disturbing than I anticipated. It is a brave film and I found myself being reminded of The Human Centipede in parts, the children are told to ward off evil cats that killed their brother by getting on their hands and knees and barking like a dog, and the parents are suitably creepy and strange. Dogtooth is labelled as a black comedy but I really did not find many laughs in this film and I was surprised at how dark it goes, especially as it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2011.
It is interestingly shot with compositions often cropping limbs and heads of characters and the camera often remains static while a character talks off screen. The colours are muted yet stark adding to the bizarre atmosphere of the film. The acting is splendid although slightly awkward in parts but this just adds to the strange feeling the film leaves you with. The references to films embedded in popular culture, Jaws and Rocky, add amusing elements and allow the audience to consider the effect film can have on people. This film has stayed with me for days after watching it and there is so much depth to it I think it will remain with me for a long time. I haven’t seen many Greek films and this really was a thought-provoking and fascinating film, I will definitely be seeking out more.
No comments:
Post a Comment