White Dog
Samuel Fuller’s throat-grabbing exposé on American racism was misunderstood and withheld from release when it was made in the early eighties.Today, the notorious film is lauded for its daring metaphor and gripping pulp filmmaking. Kristy McNichol stars as a young actress who adopts a lost German shepherd, only to discover through a series of horrifying incidents that the dog has been trained to attack black people, and Paul Winfield plays the animal trainer who tries to cure him. A snarling, uncompromising vision, White Dog is a tragic portrait of the evil done by that most corruptible of all animals; the human being.
Insights
Plot Summary
An aspiring actress, Julie Sawyer, accidentally hits a stray dog with her car and takes it in to nurse it back to health. She soon discovers that the animal has been trained to attack Black people. Horrified, she tries to find a way to re-home the dog and prevent it from harming anyone, but the dog's violent nature proves difficult to overcome.
Critical Reception
Samuel Fuller's 'White Dog' was a highly controversial film upon its release, sparking debate about its allegorical meanings and disturbing subject matter. While some critics praised its unflinching examination of racism and Fuller's characteristic B-movie style, others found it too disturbing and heavy-handed. Its release was complicated by protests and concerns over its potential to incite racial tensions, leading to its withdrawal from many theaters.
What Reviewers Say
- A disturbing, allegorical exploration of racism presented with Fuller's signature gritty style.
- Praised for its boldness but criticized for its potentially incendiary subject matter and heavy-handed approach.
- Its controversial themes and challenging narrative made it a difficult film to screen and discuss.
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Fun Fact
The film was loosely based on the true story of a German Shepherd named Roshi, who was trained to attack Black people in the 1960s.
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