Zorro,
Watched "Straw Dogs" this morning on one of the HD channels. First time to see it. Waay intense flick. Kudos to Hoffman for being willing to play his pacifist character in a cerebral and perhaps "unmanly" way. Let's see ANY major film star willing to practically drive the audience nuts because he doesn't want to fight back. Mel Gibson or Harrison Ford wouldn't have needed to "think" how to win; they would have just kicked butt. And the movie would have suffered for it. But it was Susan George who was the revelation here. Where was her Oscar? Where was her nomination? Jane Fonda wins for "Klute" while George ain't even nominated? 'Tis a sad world.

--Hawg

Saw it last night for the second time ever. The first time was in the mid to late '70s. I'd forgotten what a great movie it is.

Yes, it is very frustrating to view Hoffman's OCD sort of evasive cowardice. The abusive clan of country folk was frightening as well.

It was fascinating to watch his transformation from the coldly logical mathematician to primitive man making a stand protecting his territory. He becomes what his wife was Sabinely (word?) forced to admire in her first attacker: the brute who'll claim her, fight for her, and defend her no matter what. When he finally made the decision to fight, he was a terror to behold in his calculated counter-attacks. Boiling oil to pour on them as was done to the attackers of castles was one ingenious, bookworm approach to the problem.

Zorro,
. Where was her Oscar? Where was her nomination? Jane Fonda wins for "Klute" while George ain't even nominated? 'Tis a sad world.

--Hawg

Fond as I am of Straw Dogs, I'd have to say Fonda earned that one, she and Donald Sutherland are pretty memorable in Klute. It's about the only Jane Fonda movie I'll actually watch if I catch it channel surfing.

And yeah, Peckinpah and Hoffman made some gutsy choices in Dogs, I also liked Hoffman in the little-seen Straight Time with Harry Dean Stanton and Gary Busey.

I have Straw Dogs on DVD. One of the few films that actually had me right on the edge of the seat for the whole length.

Didn't ya just know, when they put that "man trap" up in the living room, that SOMEbody was gonna end up in it? :lol:

And hey, Susan George's boobies. What more could you ask?

George is amazing in the role, I've gotten into interesting discussions with a couple of female friends who are extremely reactionary to the fact that George's character goes through mixed emotions in that rape scene. What they won't accept is - if her character didn't enjoy that assault just a little bit then the main element of dramatic tension in that final battle disappears - i.e. with which camp will she place her loyalty? I also disagree that Hoffman's gives a damn about defending his wife by the point of that bloody climax - she has disgusted him by her behavior and in her willingness to give up David Warner's character. Yes, she helps him physically by being an extra set of eyes and hands - hence the dramatic element I was talking about earlier - but does any one doubt that by the end of that movie that that marriage is over? I don't. Hoffman's character is irrevocably changed, and George's character is finally revealed to him for the utterly shallow, selfish, manipulative child that she always was. "The Wild Bunch" is generally recognized as Peckinpah's masterpiece, but I think "Straw Dogs" comes in a damned close second.

. . . I also disagree that Hoffman's gives a damn about defending his wife by the point of that bloody climax - she has disgusted him by her behavior and in her willingness to give up David Warner's character. Yes, she helps him physically by being an extra set of eyes and hands - hence the dramatic element I was talking about earlier - but does any one doubt that by the end of that movie that that marriage is over? I don't. Hoffman's character is irrevocably changed, and George's character is finally revealed to him for the utterly shallow, selfish, manipulative child that she always was.

Hoffman, when he fights back is doing his manly duty, which is something he refused to do before. He's standing up for what belongs to him instead of cowering and making excuses and rationalizing. Therefore, he's going to defend her, no matter if she wants defending or not.

You could easily be right about Hoffman's future with her but on the other hand, he may have redefined it to her and his liking. She likes men to be men and may have found a new respect for him. It seems unlikely Hoffman that Hoffman would put up with her since he's changed but, then again, he may be able to dominate her and interact with her more which he refused to do before.

The whole thing comes down to primitive, animalistic relations between man and woman. In caveman days, Hoffman would have just bonk-bonked her over the head after all this and gone on to keep her and she would have been completely loyal to him afterwards.