Dogtooth is unlike any coming-of-age film you’ve ever seen, because the children come of age despite their father’s attempts to keep them regressed into childlike dogs.
Dogtooth is NOT your ordinary coming-of-age film. You will not find the empathetic, character-driven sensibility of John Hughes here, nor will you be able to relate to the teenagers’ struggles. It’s a profoundly misanthropic film, but that’s entirely what you’d expect from Yorgos Lanthimos.
A Greek patriarch asserts his dominance over his children by keeping them contained within their family compound, teaching them an alternative view of the world that’s entirely created by him, like a pseudo-God figure. They’re intentionally taught incorrect definitions of words and often pitted against one another in animalistic contests of physical strength and endurance. What prevents them from leaving is the fear that the unknown monsters lurk beyond – the only way they can leave is when their ‘dogtooth’ falls out.
This is often regarded as Lanthimos’ breakout film; it screened at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, won the Prix Un Certain Regard, and later earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. It’s a film draped in surrealism, both aesthetically and narratively. Also, the relationships between parents and children, and among children themselves, are remarkably complicated, and their actions often speak louder than words. Lanthimos’ films often preclude any clear meaning or allegory, and thus several readings can be mapped onto his work.
The reading I’ve always subscribed to in Dogtooth is a satirical take on the Edenic myth – the children are taught not to engage in certain actions, but corrupting outside influences lead them to develop interests that run counter to their father’s wishes. It’s certainly unlike any coming-of-age film you’ve ever seen before – because the children come of age despite the father’s attempts to keep them regressed to childlike dogs.
It’s also no coincidence that the film emphasises canine metaphors and physicality. There’s a curious link between the children in the compound and the father’s efforts to train the family dog in a pen somewhere in town. Once again, Lanthimos offers no clear conclusion, and deciding what we believe his images convey is part of the fun.
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