‘The power of the dog’ has been one of the great film premieres of Netflix. The remarkable film directed by Jane campion It has been much commented on since its arrival on the streaming platform, especially its excellent outcome in which things are not what they seem at first glance.
Beware of ‘The Power of the Dog’ spoilers from here
Kodi Smit-McPhee, the actor who gives life to Peter in the Netflix film, has given a juicy interview to the Los Angeles Times in which he explains and comments in depth on the end of ‘The Power of the Dog’, as he already starts off strongly by pointing out that he believes that the moment his character decides to assassinate Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) is “when you see him burn the flowers“as it is is”a beautiful metaphor. Phil burning the roses, of what he’s going to do to Peter’s mother, destroy her. But I think it also bothers him that I almost made him cry on their first meeting. He didn’t know that they could hurt him so easily“.
“The perfect time to attack”
According to Smit-McPhee, Peter “is constantly evaluating, waiting for the perfect moment to strike“, comparing getting infected leather with the moment he kills a rabbit in his room, further linking it to his desire to become a doctor:
He goes with the flow, and when he sees that Phil has cut his hand, he gets the idea of contaminating the rawhide to infect him.
In her opinion, Peter looks like a fox: “They are so light on their feet, they are pretty, and they look dainty and sweet. And yet they can tiptoe into a hole and pounce on it and you’re lost.“In addition, it is clear that never hesitates to back down from his plan to the point that “Peter may have never had an intimate encounter with another person, but he is willing to sacrifice himself for his mother“, which does not mean that I understand that you can feel sorry for Phil:
Phil’s walls, those walls that have solidified for so long, are gone and his mask is gone. We discover the truth about her love for Bronco Henry. And, yeah, they might take advantage of him, but I think what he had with Bronco Henry was genuine. He was in love. And he had to hide that from the world. Whereas Peter … Phil envies Peter because he can be completely himself. It’s interesting how they switch roles. Peter becomes the darkest and cruellest figure and Phil the most innocent child with great trauma. When Peter holds up the contaminated rope with his gloves on, I think he’s thinking of Phil. And hurts.
What becomes of Peter after the end of the movie
The actor also remembers the importance of white shoes that the character wore in his first appearances, as they represent his confidence, hence “I love that after he kills Phil, he takes off his boots and cowboy hat and puts it back on. Get back to who you were and who you always wereIn fact, he even seems to be pretty clear about his character’s future ten years after the end of ‘The Power of the Dog’:
I think he has become an acclaimed physician. He’s very good at his job. And I think it’s even more fascinating that this becomes a story from her past that no one discovers. He goes and does exactly what he has to do, which is to become a good doctor, like his father. It is much more disturbing. Killing Phil was something he had to do and now he can get on with his life. Probably still wearing those white shoes.
You can tell that Smit-McPhee has thought a lot about what Peter does in the movie. Something that ‘The power of the dog’ also works so that it is not a mere surprising twist. Before that we already had many signs pointing in that direction, but Jane Campion knows how to maneuver very well so that we think that shots can go in another direction …