White God (2014) Full Movie
A mystery outside of San Francisco brings together small-town sheriff Paul Del Moral, Japanese author Aki Akahori, and a traveler from Reno who soon disappears, leaving behind his suitcase and a trail of questions.
Director : Dave Boyle
Writers : Dave Boyle, Joel Clark
Stars :Ayako Fujitani, Pepe Serna, Kazuki Kitamura
Storyline
Thirteen-year-old Lili fights to protect her dog Hagen. She is devastated when her father eventually sets Hagen free on the streets. Still innocently believing love can conquer any difficulty, Lili sets out to find her dog and save him.
Reviews
This is film about a little girl and her dog. But when you think this means a teenage feel good movie, think again. In fact, the girl is a rebellious brat, who disobeys her father, insults her music teacher and at one point gets arrested for drugs possession. And at the end of the film the dog is no longer a cute animal, but a killing monster. It's clear this is not a film for the faint-hearted. There's blood, there's killing, there's cruelty, there's violence.
And that is exactly the good thing about 'White God'. It's a film about dogs, and it takes its subject seriously. The dogs are not at all friendly cuddly creatures with human qualities, but turn into fierce monsters who take over an entire city.
The animal trainers have done a great job in this film. It's incredible how well the dogs play their part, and do exactly what is necessary for the story. There's one small but wonderful scene with the lead dog character walking over a bridge. Every time he hears an unexpected noise, for example a river ship blowing its horn, he is startled. When he is reassured, and convinced that there is no danger, he walks on. Great scene, great directing.
The most spectacular scene, though, is one that features twice in the film. It is the opening scene, and the rest of the film is shown as a flash-back, leading up to that same scene. It shows a completely deserted city, with only the little girl riding her bicycle and a pack of aggressive dogs roaming the streets. It's impressive film making. That is also the case, by the way, for the very last scene, which has an almost poetic beauty and is featured on the film poster.
I liked 'White God', because it is something out of the ordinary. Serious films about animals are quite rare. Mostly, like 'Free Willy' or 'Beethoven', they are family-oriented feel good movies. 'White God' definitely isn't a feel good movie. And it's not family-oriented either. Moveover, it is well-made, with solid acting, original camera angles and nice cinematography.
I also liked the fact that it is a Hungarian film. I can't remember ever before having seen a film from a Hungarian film maker. It's nice to hear a different language (one that's completely incomprehensible, and has no links with any other language apart from Finnish) and to see the Budapest locations.
The only thing I don't get is the title. White God? The film is not about anything white, let alone God. Maybe it's something that only Hungarians can understand.
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