Why redo Straw Dogs, Sam Peckinpah‘s controversial 1971 tale of domestic horror and revenge?
The Miami Herald‘s Rene Rodriguez, one of the first critics to see and write about the remake by Rod Lurie (Nothing But the Truth, The Contender), left the screening with mixed emotions and, mostly, curiosity about how the film will be received when it’s released Sept. 16.
“I’m extremely curious to see how modern audiences react to the movie, which is exceptionally well-acted and shot, but still uses violence as a way to bait the viewer’s bloodlust and thirst for revenge, then leaves you with an ashen, queasy aftertaste,” Rodriguez writes in a short piece published today (and tweeted by Lurie himself).
“Peckinpah’s picture was a product of the Vietnam era; Lurie’s comes after a protracted war in Iraq. Both films were made during a time of tumult and tell a near-identical story, yet they send you home in radically different moods. Sometimes, remakes make sense.”
More here.
2 responses to ““Straw Dogs” Redux: Rod Lurie’s Remake”
I don’t see how this is “mixed” at all. Seems very admiring to me.
Well, Rene starts out by saying “The film is practically identical to Sam Peckinpah’s original” and he also says “the mayhem felt vaguely depressing – a graphic, bloody depiction of the loss of humanity.”
Then again, he finishes with “Sometimes, remakes make sense.” So, yes, he seems to admire, or at least appreciate, the effort.
Overall it seems like he wants to give it more thought – his full review won’t come until the movie opens.
Thanks for reading and commenting.