Count Dooku

...hmmm

I did n't listen to the interview, but he didn't say that in the quoted material in the thread.

Why So Blu?

I was paraphrasing from the quoted text. Here's the actual text from his quote:

Count Dooku

You paraphrased it as him saying what does a woman know about cowboys, but he said what does a woman from New Zealand know about the American West.

Your paraphrasing makes it about gender; his quote seems to be more about nationality, to me.

Why So Blu?

Same shit, different drink.

Count Dooku

Spaghetti westerns are viewed academically as a commentary of the Western as a film genre, and not as any attempt to comment on the actual reality of life in the American West.

Elliot is saying that Dog is a complete distortion of what he believes is the reality of life for such families based on his experiences. He's saying that the hard work of civilizing the west was done by families, not by a bunch of repressed homosexuals, and that implication in Dog offends him.

He's an almost 80 year old white American man who's public identity is inextricably linked to the mythology of the western. Should not be shocking that he is not down with gay cowboy shit.

Count Dooku

When you order a drink, do you want the bartender to give you the drink you ordered, or are you content to be served anything so long as it contains alcohol?

Throwing Copper

And such a weird person to throw shade at. Who doesn’t like Jane Campion?

Hell she hasn’t been around in forever until this past year.

I think he’s pissed that it’s not a typical western, it’s very acclaimed and it has a woman, any woman, directing it.

Why So Blu?

Why are you defending this is a better question. Stop being obtuse and stop trying to deal in absolutes. It is what it is.

Count Dooku

It is what it is. But what is it? Is it what you say it is? I don't think so.

I'm not being obtuse. I'm reading every word there. I'm trying to understand the context of Elliot's comments. For example, part of what he was complaining about was whatever was in the LA Times. What was in the LA Times that "triggered" him?

You are the one who posted (in my opinion) a clear mischaracterization of what he said. It is clear to me that his issue is not with Campion's gender, but that she is a person from the other side of the world who made a film that he thinks is telling harmful lies about America. I don't agree with him, and I don't want to defend him.

Trying to understand someone instead of posting knee-jerk attacks on them is not defending them.

I know we live in a time where if anyone says anything that violates the most current version of woke moral sensitivity, we are all supposed to just point at them and scream like it's Body Snatchers, but that's one of the things that's destroying this society.

And actually, dismissing Elliot's comments as misogyny or homophobia, just shuts down what could be an interesting avenue for discussion about the film and the Western and role Westerns play in American myth-making.

If Dog is the work of art it aspires to be (and that Hollywood has decided it is) then people should welcome a debate about its merits.

dex14

Why So Blu?

Then you're just being pedantic about it. What discussion do you think there should be? Elliot is full of shit and should not have had this whole knee-jerk reaction to POTD getting accolades. What is shocking is that it was Sam Elliot saying this. He's been the coolest most laid back actor, in all sorts of genres, since forever. He's universally loved by men and women. A man's man and even the young women love him. It's quite shocking when he lays in both barrels on POTD. Who fucking shit in his cereal? It's not like 1883 is competing against POTD, but even if it was, why be an asshole? Also, regardless of what he says, POTD is a western and a goddamn great film.

Artman

Well I haven't gotten around to watching this yet, and I have to say I'm not any more inclined to do so now. I will point out that Jeff Sneider (of Collider fame) - a very liberal guy, also hated this film.

Count Dooku

It's not what discussion I think there should be; it's what discussion it is possible to have.

The post above yours contains the statement that the point of POTD is that "the mythos around the old American west erases gay people."

What is the mythos around the old west that the Oscar Expert talking about? What is the myth of the old west that Elliot holds so dear? Are they the same things? How does POTD "eviscerate" it?

One POV is that POTD is making an important point about the erasure of gay people. Well, that's a matter of interpretation, isn't it? Something to think about. Something to talk about. Isn't that what Big Important Films are supposed to do, generate thoughtful discussion?

Sam Elliot thinks POTD is making a different point. Is there any validity to his POV? Simple enough to completely dismiss his POV because you think he is "full of shit." Don't you think other people share his POV? Are they all full of shit?

Is that how art works? Something is declared a great work of art by a bunch of elites. It's lauded as having something important to say. And if you don't agree, you can go fuck yourself. Does that really move us forward as a culture or as a society?

I was always taught that the point of capital A Art was to increase people's understanding, open people up to new ideas, and foster debate about those ideas.

Throwing Copper

You are seriously wasting your time getting in a back and forth with this man. I’m fairly sure you know that, though.

Runaway

But it still allowed to dislike the movie and to talk about it in a talk show.

Koby

I don't deny that POTD is a western... but it's still a shit film and the worst I actually watched in the last year, lmao.

Runaway

For me The Power of the Dog is Jane Campion's least boring movie.

Hokeyboy

I'd be outraged if I could remember the last time I gave a flaming turd about Sam Elliott's film analyses

DJariya

Twitter

GoldenJCJ

^ I mean, she’s right.

Throwing Copper

Good for Jane.

I mean people can have differing opinions on a film, but damn near everyone who doesn’t care for POTD at least admits the acting was good and it was beautifully shot.

When Sam called it a piece of shit or whatever, he really looked like a fool.

hippie68

Rewatched this a second time. I think it's a great movie but having a hard time with the animal abuse. I read some scenes are fake but others are not

Count Dooku

So if Sam Elliot criticizes her for being a female director, which I don't think he was doing anyway, he's a sexist. But if she accepts an award and makes it all about how she's a female director competing against men, she gets applause.
Plus, how sexist is what she said about the Williams sisters not playing against men?

whotony

Link

hippie68

no link. Please post again so I don't feel guilty enjoying this film.