Dogtooth Blu-ray Review
Kynodontas Κυνόδοντας
Score: 53
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Dogtooth offers a dark, complex study of family psychology, with strong video and audio quality; recommended for those drawn to unique cinema.
Disc Release Date
Video: 52
Kino-Lorber's Blu-ray of 'Dogtooth' offers a faithful 1080p/AVC transfer, effectively preserving the film's artistic, muted palette and sun-lit cinematography. Though minor print damage and slight grain are present, the rich 35mm grain structure and deep black levels deliver a visually engaging experience.
Audio: 62
The Greek DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track of 'Dogtooth' is sparse but effective, with clear dialogue, subtle surround use, and impressive sound design that complements the film's minimalistic style, featuring natural ambient sounds and occasional incidental music, achieving a delicate balance and dynamic range.
Extra: 26
The Extras for 'Dogtooth' Blu Ray are admirably composed, featuring an insightful 1080p interview with director Yorgos Lanthimos on the film's sci-fi inspired themes and actor collaboration, albeit brief. Deleted scenes in rough 1080i quality, highlight additional humor. Trailers and a 16-image gallery complete the package.
Movie: 81
Dogtooth is a darkly funny, disturbing satire that explores extreme parental control in an isolated family compound, using precise, deliberate compositions and stark, brutal imagery to create an unsettling yet oddly humorous exploration of adolescence, protectionism, and perverted innocence.
Video: 52
Kino-Lorber's Blu-ray presentation of "Dogtooth" showcases a faithful 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, aligning closely with the director's original vision. The transfer retains the natural 35mm grain structure, absent of any digital noise reduction (DNR) or edge enhancement, which preserves the film's authentic texture. Cinematographer Thimios Bakatatakis' sun-lit visuals and controlled, muted color palette are well-represented, offering an evocative, almost photographic aesthetic. Black levels are appropriately deep, and despite the handheld nature of many scenes, fine details in actors' faces and clothing are meticulously rendered.
However, some technical limitations are evident. The print used for this transfer is occasionally marred by minor defects such as small black and white flecks and a few noticeable scratches, lending a slightly aged appearance to this 2009 film. These periodic artifacts underscore a level of print damage unexpected for a feature of its era but remain largely unobtrusive. Compression noise subtly mingles with the grain but does not detract significantly from the viewing experience. Although contrast can appear blown out intentionally, black levels sometimes elevate, adding a washed-out quality to specific scenes.
In sum, while the transfer does exhibit slight print infidelities and a few technical shortcomings, Kino-Lorber's effort ensures that the director's aesthetic choices remain integral to the viewing experience. The slight grain and specks, combined with the subdued color grading, create a visually compelling yet narratively consistent presentation that honors the film's original artistic intent.
Audio: 62
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track for "Dogtooth" is masterfully minimalist, aligning perfectly with the film's stark visual presentation. Notably absent is a musical score to guide emotional responses; instead, incidental music, such as the father playing "Fly Me to the Moon" for the children, underscores particular scenes in an almost ironic fashion. The dialogue is consistently clean and prominent, with natural ambient sounds and occasional effects reinforcing the film's introspective atmosphere. Rear channels are subtly yet effectively utilized to convey external environmental noises like wind and airplanes.
The Greek DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, supplemented with optional English subtitles, further accentuates the film's restrained audio landscape. Dialogues remain impressively crisp and full, despite the track's general quietness. Surround sound use, though minimal, provides a naturally immersive experience during key scenes. The director's skillful manipulation of silence and sparse sound design reveals an impressive dynamic range, contrasting serene moments with sudden, intense outbursts of sound, including unsettling elements like loud screams and barking. While bass presence is limited, the balance among various audio components achieves both functional and artistic coherence.
Overall, this deceptively simple audio track proves far more engaging than initially apparent. Though it won't showcase advanced sound systems in the same manner as high-octane action films, "Dogtooth" delivers a subtly powerful demonstration of a soft but highly effective auditory experience that enhances its narrative depth.
Extras: 26
The extras on the "Dogtooth" Blu Ray provide rich supplementary content for those interested in delving deeper into the film’s intricate themes and unique production process. The Interview with Director Yorgos Lanthimos stands out with Lanthimos discussing the film’s sci-fi origins, the collaborative nature of writing, and the directing style that effectively brought out childlike performances from the cast. The Deleted Scenes, although technically flawed with upscaling issues, offer an interesting glimpse into scenes that were cut, including the family singing "Fly Me to the Moon". The Stills Gallery and Trailers provide additional context and visual reference to complement the primary features.
Extras included in this disc:
- Interview with Director Yorgos Lanthimos: Insights into themes, production, and directing style.
- Deleted Scenes: Three scenes showcasing additional humorous and awkward moments.
- Stills: A gallery of sixteen high-definition images from the movie.
- Trailers: Theatrical trailers of Dogtooth and other related films.
Movie: 81
Yorgos Lanthimos' "Dogtooth" is an intensely provocative dark drama that explores the depths of a claustrophobic family dynamic with biting satirical edge. The film revolves around a father who isolates his three adult children within a familial compound, barring them from society's influence. This containment is sustained through an array of deeply contrived deceptions that redefine their understanding of reality itself. The twisted mythology constructed by the parents imbues mundane concepts like a sea, which is described as a leather armchair, and an excursion, redefined as a resistant construction material. The father's obsessive control is further demonstrated through ruthless punishments and absurd mandates, reinforcing an environment where disobedience is non-existent.
From a cinematic standpoint, "Dogtooth" is an extraordinary combination of stark beauty and deliberate form. Lanthimos' compositions range from intimate hand-held sequences to static low-height shots that serve to highlight the depersonalized sexuality and fragmented subjectivity of the characters. The camera’s tendency to cut off parts of the characters in the frame mirrors their distorted perceptions and limited worldview. These choices lend the film a visually unsettling atmosphere, which is compounded by the raw and nearly unsimulated portrayal of sexual encounters. The narrative unfolds in a series of stark vignettes rather than following a traditional plot progression, delving into themes of arrested development, control, and twisted familial loyalty.
The performances elevate the film to a level of eerily natural believability. Despite their bizarre behaviors and almost monotone deliveries, the cast's portrayals are heartbreakingly convincing. The children, named simply as brother and sisters, traverse a surreal blend of off-kilter humor and stark reality in their blind obedience to their father’s perverse instructions. Ultimately, "Dogtooth" remains an emotionally powerful film that dissects the terrifyingly real potential for familial love to curdle into something profoundly disturbing when faced with the extremities of isolation and control. With undertones resonating from social polemics to extreme overprotection, Lanthimos crafts a film that lingers long after the credits roll.
Total: 53
Dogtooth, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, presents an unsettling yet mesmerizing viewing experience that ventures into the macabre world of a family insulated from reality. The film’s narrative explores the extreme psychological implications of isolation and control, unfolding in a suburban house where the three adult children are confined by their overly protective parents. The storyline is both eerily humorous and disturbing, offering a deep dive into unconventional family dynamics and their psychological impact.
The Blu-ray transfer admirably preserves the film’s stark visual aesthetic, characterized by its clinical framing and naturalistic lighting. The 1080p resolution ensures that every subtle detail is crisply rendered, while the Blu-ray format maintains a stable, high-quality presentation throughout. Likewise, the audio track is clear and immersive, with dialogues pronounced distinctly, which is crucial for appreciating the understated yet impactful performances of the cast.
Supplementary materials, though minimal, provide added value for enthusiasts wanting more insight into Yorgos Lanthimos’s distinctive directorial choices. Interviews and a behind-the-scenes featurette offer a glimpse into the meticulous crafting of this cinematic enigma. Despite their brevity, these extras enrich the overall viewing experience for those who are intrigued by the film’s ingenious construction and perplexing themes.
The Academy Award-nominated Dogtooth is an off-kilter family portrait, a study of sex divorced from society, and easily one of the best films of the year. It's definitely not for all tastes—I’m just waiting for someone to make an "it’s all Greek to me" joke—but it’s a must-see for those drawn to dark, complex cinema. Highly recommended!
Blu-ray.com review by Casey BroadwaterRead review here
Video: 80
Of course, the image is only as good as its source, so it's unfortunate that the print Kino used is periodically dotted with small black and white flecks, along with a few fleeting but noticeable scratches....
Audio: 80
This is very much a film that makes you aware of its cinema-ness, as sound and image work with and against each other to obtain a desired emotional effect....
Extras: 40
Deleted Scenes (1080i, 5:26): Includes three short, appropriately cut deleted scene, the best of which features the whole family singing "Fly Me to the Moon."...
Movie: 90
Not much actually happens in the traditional narrative sense, but we're led through a string of vignettes that takes us into the inverted emotional experience of what life is like for the three cloistered...
Total: 90
It's definitely not for all tastes�I'm just waiting for someone to make an "it's all Greek to me" joke�but it's a must-see for those drawn to dark, complex cinema....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 60
Overall, the video transfer here seems to honor the intended look of the film and though its style is artistically impressive, from a technical perspective it leaves a bit to be desired....
Audio: 80
The director utilizes silence and sparse sound design to great effect throughout, and again, though quiet, there is actually a nice level of dynamic range present which punctuates the more serene elements...
Extras: 20
Though technically featured in HD, the scenes are in very rough shape and seem to have been upscaled from a low quality SD source....
Movie: 80
Still, even with these many heavy matters explored, the film somehow manages to keep a surprisingly potent level of absurdist humor throughout....
Total: 60
'Dogtooth' is not an easy film, but its strange and unique world offers an intelligent look into the psychology of family dynamics and growth that is both funny and disturbing....
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Actors: Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Angeliki Papoulia
PlotA man and a woman live with their three adult children in a secluded, fenced-in compound, completely isolated from the outside world. The parents have enforced a bizarre regime of control and misinformation, teaching the children erroneous definitions of common words, instilling irrational fears, and holding elaborate, deceptive stages of events to keep them obedient. The children believe they will be ready to leave the compound only when they lose a "dogtooth," something highly unlikely to happen as per their father's explanation. They have never ventured beyond the tall walls and blindly trust in the narrative fed to them by their parents.
Their father occasionally brings Christina, a security guard from his workplace, who is paid to satisfy the sexual urges of the eldest son. However, Christina inadvertently disrupts the controlled environment by introducing alien ideas and influences. Her actions sow seeds of curiosity and rebellion in the eldest daughter, who begins to yearn for new experiences and an understanding of the world outside the compound. The family’s carefully constructed facade starts to crack, exposing the deep dysfunction and increasing strain on maintaining such a controlled existence. As the eldest daughter becomes more influenced by Christina’s inadvertent provocations, the foundation of the family’s isolationist regime faces unprecedented challenges.
Writers: Efthimis Filippou, Yorgos Lanthimos
Release Date: 11 Nov 2009
Runtime: 97 min
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Greece
Language: Greek