Dog Soldiers
(UK/2002), directed by Neil Marshall
Review written by Gauntgirl, July 31st, 2002.
In psychoanalytic theory the werewolf is famous for representing the monstrous sexual desire of the seemingly innocent “Little Red Riding Hood”. The victims in Dog Soldiers also manage to stray from the path on their way to 'Grandma’s house', but they are anything but young, virginal maidens. Yet, these militant day hikers (sporting army fatigues instead of red hoods, and carrying assault rifles instead baskets full of goodies) hardly fair any better against their lycanthropic threat than would an innocent little girl.
Set in a remote forest area of Scotland, Dog Soldiers follows a platoon of unsuspecting soldiers intended as bait in the capture of a werewolf. Armed with a meager supply of weapons, their only chance for survival is in an attractive lycanthrope researcher who leads them to shelter in an abandoned country home. As it turns out, however, that is exactly what the werewolves were hoping they’d do. Much violence and gore follows.
Dog Soldiers is half horror movie and half war drama. Much of the cinematography is highly reflective of Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down and Gladiator, or Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (specifically, lots of handheld, in-motion shots). The structure of the plot is also characteristic of war dramas – i.e. scenes of violent action interspersed with scenes of strategizing, deception, in-fighting, and [attempts at] emotional tension. However, my first impression was that plot in Dog Soldiers is pretty much pointless (as it was in Black Hawk Down). It only serves as an excuse to pit a group of soldiers against an army of werewolves. Well, you know what, this is a horror movie and horror movies really don’t need a reason for violence, gore, or the supernatural. And in fact, some of the best horror movies are devoid of plot for just that reason. So plot, dialogue, and acting are not really this film’s high points, coming across a little weak (though, they aren’t the worst I’ve seen either). With that said, I don’t want to give the impression that Dog Soldiers is not an intelligent film. On the contrary, it has moments of very smart humour and tongue-in-cheek visual references geared toward the hardened horror fan. Most of the [intelligent] humour in this film, however, is rather subtle or it occurs so quickly that the average viewer may very well miss it. The attentive viewer, on the other hand, has a lot to gain from the subtle humour and below-the-wire intelligence, but probably more to lose from the moments of pointless banter and time-wasting plot devices. Truly, the major selling points of Dog Soldiers are action and gore. With classic horror gore and special effects (no CG here), this film is a delight for the old school horror fan. Any hey, not even the most clueless viewer can miss the buckets of blood and intestines that Dog Soldiers spills out all over the screen.
[Almost] Final word: Dog Soldiers would make a great party movie. I’d almost say that there’s something for everyone in this movie (except for those who hate violence and gore – but that’s probably a given). The war buff, the gore freak, the supernatural nut, and even chicks (see below) will find something to carry them through this film. And the overall craziness is sure to stir up even the most placid group. So grab some popcorn, a case of beer, and your rowdiest buddies 'cause this film is going to kick your ass.
Chick Appeal – Warning: Spoilers!
When talking about werewolves, it's almost impossible for me not to make allusions to "Little Red Riding Hood" - a story that has been re-interpretted by a number of films (from A company of Wolves to Freeway). I may be the only one who sees it, but I can also find a re-interpretting of "Little Red Riding Hood" in Dog Soldiers. Granted, the connection is subtle but I equate the relationship between the female lead (the lycanthrope researcher) and the soldiers as a reversal of the relationship between Little Red Riding Hood and the werewolf. Here's the spoiler: when the soldiers, being stalked through the woods by an unknown threat, come across the researcher by accident, she seems to be their friend and saviour. However, whereas the charming wolf runs ahead to meet the girl at grandma's house, this wolf in women's clothing leads her prey to her own home with the promise of safe shelter. Like the wolfman of the fable, the woman gains the trust of the men through deception and charm. And once she wittles away their defences (by tricking them into wasting ammo which leaves them as defenseless as the naked little girl tricked into burning her clothes by the fabled wolf) she reveals her true, furry nature and goes in for the kill. This strong anti-heroine brings a desperately needed feminine touch to the otherwise all male cast. And it's interesting that of all the in-fighting and deception between the soldiers, it's the woman's secret that proves to be the most powerful (and dangerous). Unfortunately, like the modern version of the "Little Red" fable, the she-wolf doesn't get away with it. None the less, before they are blown-up (in a climax that I really didn't buy), the wolf and her furry family prove without a doubt that the stength and power of the beast (monstrous feminine as Barbara Creed would say) far surpass that of the world's strongest men.
