1883 star Sam Elliot shares some harsh words regarding Jane Campion's portrayal of the American West in The Power of the Dog. Elliot is best known for his roles in iconic movies like The Big Lebowski, Roadhouse, A Star Is Born, and most recently, 1883, a spinoff of the hit show Yellowstone. The show features Elliot as Shea Brennan, a Pinkerton agent tasked with guiding the Dutton family along the Oregon Trail in search of what remains of America's uncolonized West.
The Power of the Dog similarly portrays a vision of the American West, albeit in the 1920s. Set in Montana, the Netflix film tells the story of rough rancher Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch), who struggles to adapt to a new way of life when his brother brings home a new wife and her son. The film, which is nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, has been heavily praised for its powerful themes and the strong performances from Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, and Kirsten Dunst.
In a new interview on WTF With Marc Maron (via IndieWire), Elliot made no secret of his disdain for The Power of the Dog and the ways in which it portrays the American West. In addition to calling the film a "piece of sh*t," Elliot criticizes The Power of the Dog for shooting in New Zealand instead of in the USA and takes issue with the film's homosexual undercurrents. Elliot also suggests that Campion, a New Zealand native, is unfit to tell such a wholly American story. Check out Elliot's full comment below:
“What the f*ck does this woman — she’s a brilliant director by the way, I love her work, previous work — but what the f*ck does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American west? And why in the f*ck does she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say, ‘This is the way it was.’ That f*cking rubbed me the wrong way, pal."
Elliot also recalls seeing a clip in the Los Angeles Times discussing the ways in which The Power of the Dog, which has been dubbed a Revisionist Western by many, explores the "evisceration of the American myth." Elliot took issue with that as well, claiming that all the cowboys in the movie look like Chippendales dancers, "running around in chaps and no shirts." Elliot, who has appeared in a number of Westerns throughout his career, makes clear that he does not think that Campion's work is representative of what life was actually like during that period of history.
While The Power of the Dog did shoot in New Zealand in place of Montana, it's hardly the first Western to not be filmed in the United States. Some of the most iconic Westerns of all time were filmed in Italy and subsequently dubbed "Spaghetti Westerns," including the iconic The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. It's also very common for films outside of the Western genre to take place in one country but be filmed in another for budgetary reasons. As someone who has starred in a number of Westerns, including 1883, Elliot clearly values authenticity when it comes to the portrayal of the American West and is very much going against the grain when it comes to the general critical and audience reception to The Power of the Dog.
Source: WTF With Marc Maron (via IndieWire)