Straw Dogs (1971)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Sam Peckinpah

Writers:

David Zelag Goodman (screenplay) and
Sam Peckinpah (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 December 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

The knock at the door meant the birth of one man and the death of seven others!

Plot:

A young American and his English wife come to rural England and face increasingly vicious local harassment.

Plot Keywords:

Violence | Rural | House | Mathematician | Fight

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	David Sumner
Susan George	...	Amy Sumner
Peter Vaughan	...	Tom Hedden
T.P. McKenna	...	Major John Scott
Del Henney	...	Charlie Venner
Jim Norton	...	Chris Cawsey
Donald Webster	...	Riddaway
Ken Hutchison	...	Norman Scutt
Len Jones	...	Bobby Hedden
Sally Thomsett	...	Janice Hedden
Robert Keegan	...	Harry Ware
Peter Arne	...	John Niles
Cherina Schaer	...	Louise Hood
Colin Welland	...	Reverend Barney Hood
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
June Brown	...	Mrs. Hedden (scenes deleted)
Chloe Franks	...	Emma Hedden (scenes deleted)
Michael Mundell	...	Bertie Hedden (scenes deleted)
David Warner	...	Henry Niles (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Peckinpah

Writing credits
David Zelag Goodman		(screenplay) and
Sam Peckinpah		(screenplay)
Gordon Williams		(novel "The Siege of Trencher's Farm") (as Gordon M. Williams)

Produced by
Daniel Melnick	....	producer
James Swann	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
John Coquillon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Paul Davies
Tony Lawson
Roger Spottiswoode

Casting by
Miriam Brickman

Production Design by
Ray Simm

Art Direction by
Ken Bridgeman

Makeup Department
Harry Frampton	....	makeup artist
Bobbie Smith	....	hairdresser
Peter Frampton	....	makeup assistant (uncredited)

Production Management
Derek Kavanagh	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terry Marcel	....	assistant director
Nick Farnes	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Michael Murray	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter James	....	set dresser
Julia Trevelyan Oman	....	production design consultant

Sound Department
John Bramall	....	sound recordist
Garth Craven	....	sound editor
Michael Ellis	....	sound dialogue editor (uncredited)
Norman Savage	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Richardson	....	special effects
Peter Hutchinson	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Cornelius	....	stunt coordinator
Peter Brayham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Dunne	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sue Longhurst	....	stunt double: Susan George (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Herbert Smith	....	camera operator
John Jay	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tiny Nicholls	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Robert L. Wolfe	....	editorial consultant (as Robert Wolfe)

Music Department
Jerry Fielding	....	conductor (uncredited)
Lennie Niehaus	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Pamela Davies	....	continuity
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer
Katherine Haber	....	dialogue director (as Katy Haber)
George Davis	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Brian Doyle	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Susan Shaw	....	body double: Susan George (uncredited)

Production Companies

• ABC Pictures (presents) (as ABC Pictures Corp.)
• Talent Associates (as Talent Associates Films, Ltd.)
• Amerbroco (as Amerbroco Films, Ltd.)

Distributors

• British Film Institute (BFI) (1995) (UK) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing UK (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1995) (worldwide) (all media)
• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (USA)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Editora Europa (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (1982) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Guild Home Video (UK) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MRA Entertainment Group (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Pearson Television International (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Thorn-Emi Video (????) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Transvídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Video Collection International (1999) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

118 min | USA:113 min (R-rated version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1981) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1971) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2007) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | USA:R (cut) | USA:Unrated (uncut) | Brazil:18 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA (DVD re-rating) (2004) | Australia:R (original rating) | France:-16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:(Banned) (video rating) (1999) | UK:18 (video re-rating) (2002) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Lamorna Cove, Lamorna, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

ABC Pictures

Trivia:

When Sam Peckinpah was planning the scene in which Amy is raped twice, he would not tell Susan George how he was going to shoot the scene. Under pressure from her, he eventually told her bluntly that Amy would first be raped and then buggered. She refused to take part in Peckinpah's plans for explicit portrayal of this and threatened to resign. He eventually relented, allowing George to depict Amy's trauma by concentrating on her eyes and face, rather than her body.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: As David and Amy Sumner drive up to their house for the first time, the camera crew is reflected in the car's side window.

Quotes:

Tom Hedden: I'll have an answer, or I'll have blood!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bosque de sombras (2006)

Movies shouldn't entertain, they should scar.

I think pretty much all of the people posting comments on this film have totally missed the point of the film. One reviewer sees the movie as sexist against women, others hate that plot points aren't wrapped up or it doesn't make sense that Amy enjoys the rape. A lot of people just don't seem to get this film. This film is not about entertainment. It's not interested in impressing you with artistic flare, and it doesn't care about wrapping sh-t up in a neat little package so you walk away with all the answers. People who complain about that kind of stuff might as well go and watch a Julia Roberts movie. This is Sam Peckinpah working out his demons, this is him breaking into your safe haven, slashing your face open. I personally have never been more disturbed or hurt by a film in my life, and because of this, I don't walk away in denial of its greatness. I'm able to say, "wow! That movie totally tapped in to these dormant emotions and feelings I've always had but either didn't realize or wasn't willing to admit to myself. Examples of Peckinpahs crushing insights are the entire female/male dynamic, the hurt we cause each other intentionally and unintentionally, the sickness of it all. This film hurt me so bad that I couldn't talk to my wife for about a week after. (Incidentally, the same thing happened in reverse when she watched Fight Club, which is really the perfect companion to this film.) This movie forces you to think, to face the ugliness of the world. It presents you with sh-t you don't want to face, feelings that you have buried in your subconscious so you will not have to deal with them. That is why I think so many people don't like this movie, because it has scarred them so badly that they can't even admit it hit a nerve, and thus dismiss it as "stupid, or retarded" I don't think I'll ever be able to watch this movie again, it was just too raw, too powerful, too hurtful. But I learned a lot about myself in the process, and was totally absorbed and thoughtful for a long time afterwards.

" I don't know how much movies should entertain. To me I'm always interested in movies that scar. The thing I love about JAWS is the fact that I've never gone swimming in the ocean again." -David Fincher