Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sándor Zsótér, Lili Horváth, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, Gergely Bánki, Tamás Polgár, Károly Ascher, Erika Bodnár, Bence Csepeli, János Derzsi, László Gálffi, Kornél Mundruczó, Ervin Nagy, Natasa Stork, Vanda Verle.
A nation always seems surprised when a particular group who have been abused, mistreated with contempt, fights back and gives a nasty bite to those who have dealt out beatings, proverbial or otherwise. Throughout human history, the abuse of power has led to such revolts and the only surprise is that people still think they can get away with it.
To portray that in a film is to either go with the biopic and the intensity that recent cinematic smash Selma brings crashing into view or to make it allegorical in the way that the Planet of The Apes Franchise has successfully achieved or by opening up a new direction and looking to an unknown quantity for many in cinema and turning to Eastern Europe story tellers and their dramatic, somewhat striking film, White God.
White God spares no punches with some of its depictions of abuse and animal violence, shockingly so, to the point where even a strong minded, strong stomached watcher could find themselves turning away from the sheer brutality being placed before them. This is certainly the point that the makers of the film are trying to get over, that no matter what, as a society, we must never turn our eyes away from such things, for if we do, we allow it breed, to sink to ever greater aspects of depravity. Vigilance against the rise of certain political parties in Europe must be a keen watchword, lest their less than enamouring followers and their brutish ways get a foothold on the streets again.
White God deals with idea that even the tamest animal can be turned into a cruel, vicious monster, can turn against society if it is treated with enough abuse and by placing this thought in to the cinema goers mind with a species that is welcomed by their millions into people’s homes throughout the country, it shows that care and nurture is the way to bring harmony. Yet the more that an animal is psychologically damaged, the more it will attack, and with each passing day, the likelihood is that the attacks will get worse.
The depictions of dog on dog violence are disturbing, yet nothing sears into the retinas more than the alluded to mistreatment of the dogs by their human handlers as the city comes under the spotlight and revenge is sought.
The film relies heavily on the animal scenes and for that it works with great style and an abundant charm, as the human cast are reduced to almost playing bit parts to the animal sacrifice and story that envelops on screen. However, Zsófia Psotta, the young Hungarian girl whose mixed breed dog is at the centre of the rebellion is outstanding, and in the final scenes of the film, stands aloft with Sándor Zsótér as her father in getting the message across, that this is not just our world, it is a world that must rise above the innate savagery, where if the supposed master doesn’t think through their actions, then the workers, the enslaved and the abused will always bring their kingdom crashing down.
White God is a film that may catch many by surprise but which is an intelligently written and well crafted piece of art, a cinematic experience of immense thought.
Ian D. Hall