Oscar-Nominated 'The Power of the Dog' Gets Its Title From A Famous Psalm
Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil Burbank in “The Power of the Dog.” Cr. Kirsty Griffin/NETFLIX © 2021
(REVIEW) Many of the 2022 Oscar nominations, announced on Feb. 8, feature thematic elements of religion — the portrayal of famous televangelists in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” the Mormon faith of a famous tennis family in “King Richard,” the Islamic thought experiment of “Dune,” the legends connected to Roman Catholic superstar Diego Maradona in “The Hand of God” and more.
Chief among these movies is “The Power of the Dog,” which has stood out particularly during the Oscars season. It’s the most-nominated movie, with 12 nominations; its director, Jane Campion, is the first woman to be nominated for Best Director twice.
“The Power of the Dog” is a slow-burn Western based on the 1967 novel of the same name. In it, brothers Phil and George run a ranch in Montana. George, the softer and sweeter of the two, gets married and moves his wife and her teenage son back to the ranch.
Phil, a stoic and somewhat cruel rancher, commands the respect of the ranch hands who work underneath him with his expertise on the job and domineering charisma. He was trained in the practice by a legendary, almost mythical, rancher named Bronco Henry and is unquestionably a master of his work — in all other aspects, however, Phil is undeniably unpleasant and lonely.
From the moment they meet, Phil torments Rose and her quiet, strange son Peter, driving Rose to a destructive alcoholism. Peter, who cares deeply for his mother, becomes determined to protect her and save her from her habits.
All the same, Peter becomes a skilled cowhand himself and earns Phil’s respect and affection. He notices what others don’t, like the shadow of a black dog that rests over the distant hills, and Phil takes him under his wing, believing they have a mutual kinship.
The movie gets its title and its climactic sequence from Psalm 22, one of David’s most well-known laments.
The psalm begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These are words Jesus cried out on the cross, both a representation of his personal suffering and understanding of the rest of the world.
In the original psalm, David implores God on behalf of himself and of all people. He describes in great length the ways he has been scorned and harmed by his enemies because of his faithfulness.
At the very end of the movie, Peter is shown reading the titular phrase in his Bible. It comes from verses 19-20: “But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!”
Without giving too much away, “The Power of the Dog” uses this passage more for the punishment of man’s enemies than it does a separation from God, aiding the movie with its haunting, Gothic tone.
In this way, the movie uses its source material very well. It aims to create a chilling environment that’s worth thinking about long after the credits roll — and what better way to achieve that than to use one of the most powerful passages from the Old Testament?
“The Power of the Dog” is available to stream on Netflix.
Jillian Cheney is a contributing culture writer for Religion Unplugged. She also writes on American Protestantism and evangelical Christianity and was Religion Unplugged’s 2020-21 Poynter-Koch fellow. You can find her on Twitter @_jilliancheney.