At this year's Venice Film Festival, there was a movie that received warm applause from the audience after the screening. It was the latest masterpiece "The Dog God" directed by the famous French director Luc Besson.
At first glance at the title and stills of the film, many people may think that it is likely to tell a healing story like "Hachi the Dog". After all, in recent years, most films with dogs as the protagonists have adopted a similar creative template, which is to tell the story of an unexpected encounter between humans and animals, and their subsequent companionship and healing.
But after watching the full film, I realized that what Luc Besson wanted to discuss with the audience in the film "Dog God" is far more than just "healing", whether it is the tragic childhood experience of the protagonist Douglas, or his relationship with The process of the dogs getting to know each other and being together, and at the end of the film when he breaks away from the shackles of reality and embraces freedom while dying... The whole film is full of a lot of realistic issues, and the recurring religious symbols also give the story the dual attribute of allegory. .
The story of "Dog God" originated from a real news report that Luc Besson once saw - a father cruelly locked his child in a cage for four years.
Luc Besson, who is also a parent, could not imagine what kind of beast this father was to commit such a horrific crime. What made him even more unbearable to face was the child in the cage. What unbearable childhood memories there will be in the rest of my life.
What kind of psychological trauma will such huge pain cause to such a young and ignorant child? When he grows up, how will he face the pain he has experienced? Should we turn it into a source of motivation for ourselves to be positive and be a good person, or should we feed back the pain we have experienced to society and others?
With this kind of thinking, Luc Besson finally completed the creation of the film "The Dog God".
The protagonist of the film, "Dog God" Douglas, was once a kind-hearted, innocent and lively child. However, because he rescued dogs, he was abused by his father who hated dogs and made a living by fighting dogs.
His father and brother brutally threw the young boy into a dog cage. An accidental shooting caused his legs to permanently lose the ability to walk. But there is always a ray of hope in his tragic childhood experience, and that is the dogs who are always by his side. During his time in the dog crate, Douglas even awakened to his unique ability, which is the ability to communicate with dogs without any barriers.
Under the affectionate interpretation of Caleb Landry Jones, the protagonist Douglas's external bravery and tenacity, as well as his gentle and fragile heart, are vividly expressed.
After being rescued by the police, young Douglas went to an orphanage. Sitting alone in a wheelchair, he obviously had difficulty integrating into children of the same age. It was the appearance of the female teacher Salma that made Douglas fall deeply in love with stage performance art. Douglas, who was lonely and had low self-esteem, learned how to express his inner emotions through his physical performance and singing.
Unfortunate family experiences, cruel living environment and huge gap in reality made it difficult for the young Douglas to integrate into the society in front of him even if he got rid of the shackles of his family.
After coming out of the orphanage, Douglas worked harder than others and obtained a bachelor's degree in biology. He was responsible for managing a stray animal shelter funded by the government.
But the torture of reality soon came again, and the financially strapped local government decided to close the shelter where Douglas worked. After many years, he finally reunited with Salma, whom he had always loved, but unexpectedly learned that she was a wife and was about to have a child of her own. The most touching thing about the story is that even though he encountered so many hardships in his life, Douglas still chose to be a good person with difficulty.
After a series of setbacks and blows, Douglas finally gave up integrating into the human society in front of him, which he considered extremely cruel and hypocritical. Instead, he chose to return to the dog group and inhabit the so-called civilization through his own unique disguise. Among them, he finally realizes his final transformation from "victim" to "dog god".
But even so, Douglas, who became the "Dog God", did not choose to use the power of dogs to compete. Instead, he always maintained his kind and innocent values. He helped those in need and was able to face the challenges of evil forces. Stand up for yourself.
Of course, Douglas also shows the diversity and complexity of human nature. For example, although the way he treats insurance company employees is very consistent with the survival law of the jungle, it can hardly be called a just act.
However, it is these portrayals of Douglas's inner entanglements that make this character different from the "anti-heroes" in many superhero films and television works. Luc Besson, who has always been good at making commercial movies, did not choose to let Douglas Douglas has become a labeled image, but he chose to put this character in a real living situation, allowing him to naturally choose whether to be a martyr for his own ideals or a little person living for himself.
Just as "GOD" in the film in turn becomes "DOG", through Douglas's life experience in the film, I think the audience may have their own answer to "whether God really exists", but One thing is certain, that is, everyone who is born has the right to choose how to spend their life, and Douglas is no exception.
At the end of the film, Douglas finally chooses to "walk freely and toward his own death." His body sinks to the ground, cleverly blending with the reflection of the cross on the church roof.
The reason why "Dog God" has won unanimous praise from audiences and industry insiders in 2023, when there are many new films, is inseparable from Luc Besson's originality. This film combines many commercial film elements, but it is The audience was told a story that was not cliche, and even contained warmth, cruelty and idealism at the same time.
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