Dogtooth, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is a perverse take on the atomic family. This Greek film features a man (Christos Stergioglou) and his wife (Michelle Valley) who raise their son and two daughters (Christos Passalis, Aggeliki Papoulia, and Mary Tsoni) in a secluded area, fenced off from the rest of the world. The parents have kept the early adult-aged children from ever leaving the premises in order to protect them from the dangerous outside world. They eradicate the children’s interest in leaving the premises by teaching them different meanings to words (“sea” means a leather armchair, “motorway” is a strong wind, etc.), prohibiting any form of outside media such as movies and television, and making up stories about a son who died after leaving the home. The only other person the children see outside of the family is Christina (Anna Kalaitzidou), a coworker of the father, who gets paid to relieve the sexual tension of the son. The name of the movie comes from the fact that the parent told their kids that they are allowed to leave once one of their dogteeth fall out.
The film is worth a watch if only to see the clever ways in which the parents keep up this lifelong façade. For example, they tell the children that the planes they see flying in the sky are only little toys. They even go so far as to buy airplane toys, place them in the backyard, and tell their kids that they have fallen from the sky. In another clever scene, the whole family listens to a Frank Sinatra song, which the children think is a recording of their grandfather singing. The father translates the English lyrics into a sort of propaganda, praising the way in which the children are raised.
The one thing that I admire the most about this movie is its simplicity. The camera shots are all static, the acting performances are mostly sedated, and the visual effects are kept at a minimalist level throughout, from opening to ending credits. Also, there isn’t any sort of emphasis on symbolism in order to address any particular issue in the world. Because of this, Dogtooth can serve as a parable for everyone. One can take the film literally as a warning against over-parenting and over-protection, or one can go further with the film’s themes and compare them to situations involving the government, the media, religion, or society in general.
I have seen many comparisons between the style of Dogtooth and the styles of other European directors. I myself have found similarities between this and the works of Michael Haneke, Lars von Trier, Robert Bresson, and even Stanley Kubrick. A more pretentious reviewer would lambaste this film for copying other people’s work. I, on the other hand, believe that while these comparisons are easy to make, Lanthimos effectively uses these influences to develop his own style and voice in Dogtooth, much like Quentin Tarantino in his movies. There are enough elements in this movie to help differentiate Lanthimos’ humor, pace, and aesthetic from the previously listed directors.
This movie gets dark in many places, though. There are scenes that are disturbing, violent, and awkwardly sexual, revolving around lesbianism, incest, and child abuse. Despite all of this, the overall tone of the film is not so bleak. The film manages to maintain a humor mostly in the innocent, childlike natures of the siblings, who constantly play weird games with each other and misinterpret well-known aspects of society through their nurtured ignorance. It is very misleading, however, to call this movie “hilarious”, as I have on seen many posters for this movie. That is much like calling Funny Games hilarious. Humor is to be found, but only so to counterbalance the dark weight of the rest of the movie.
Dogtooth is not for everyone. You can easily judge from the trailer if you would like this movie or not. For those of you who are adventurous enough to give this film a shot, I assure you that this will not disappoint. Despite its heavy themes, the film feels optimistic, and there is enough in here to entertain even the most fervent European film haters. It is also a fun film to dissect thematically, if you are into that.
Give this film a shot.
I dare you.
Rating: 4 Stars
Distributed by Feelgood Entertainment
Produced by Boo Productions
Running time: 96 minutes
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