Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2009)

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swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2009)

#26 Post by swo17 » Thu Feb 13, 2020 11:54 pm

Nice appreciation! I actually just rewatched these two Greek features and Alps gained a lot from knowing where Lanthimos would eventually head and being more on his wavelength now (I wasn't a fan of Dogtooth initially, and it's still a bit much for me)

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therewillbeblus
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2009)

#27 Post by therewillbeblus » Fri Feb 14, 2020 12:20 am

swo17 wrote:
Thu Feb 13, 2020 11:54 pm
Nice appreciation! I actually just rewatched these two Greek features and Alps gained a lot from knowing where Lanthimos would eventually head and being more on his wavelength now (I wasn't a fan of Dogtooth initially, and it's still a bit much for me)
Dogtooth is definitely my least favorite, and while conceptually amusing it doesn't strike that more diverse space that Alps does, and that his last three English-language features have repurposed for emphasizing less didactic lessons and more amusing presentations with a bite absent of proposed solutions. I think there's a humility and awareness of his place in the aims of all subsequent films starting here in that vein, even if they appear flaunting or bombastic to some. I'm curious to see Kinetta though it sounds wholly provocative in intent, not that this is a bad thing. The Killing of a Sacred Deer, for example, would be my easy pick for favorite until I saw Alps and yet it doesn't come off as complex or deep-feeling to me on first glance, but the narrative and magical realism device to unwrap the social systems from closed to open is completely opposite to The Lobster and the tone is more effective for its messy, jarring directions and curious choices, making it far from easy to unpack all that's going on under the covers.

Back to Alps I wonder what prompted Lanthimos to take such a compassionate route at this moment in time. In locating a brief interview from 2011, I'm glad he acknowledges the economic aspect of the film (though organized it feels more like free enterprise) that I picked up on but thought was a bit of a stretch to be intentional while watching.

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2009)

#28 Post by knives » Wed Apr 29, 2020 3:19 pm

Has Lanthimos talked about the similarities between this and Ripstein's The Castle of Purity? I quite liked this and would like to know if the precedent has been discussed.

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Big Ben
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:54 pm
Location: Great Falls, Montana

Re: Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2009)

#29 Post by Big Ben » Wed Apr 29, 2020 3:58 pm

knives wrote:
Wed Apr 29, 2020 3:19 pm
Has Lanthimos talked about the similarities between this and Ripstein's The Castle of Purity? I quite liked this and would like to know if the precedent has been discussed.
Maybe and I stress maybe. Supposedly when Lanthimos was nominated for Dogtooth Ripstein was supposedly quoted as saying something to the effect of "I hope we win." My source is one of the most exceptionally angry individuals I've ever come across online who also happened to have lived in Greece.

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2009)

#30 Post by knives » Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:11 pm

Ha, I meant in an in depth Senses of cinema style comparison.

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