White God (Hungarian: Fehér isten)
Directed by Kornél Mundruczó
Starring Zsófia Psotta as Lili; brothers "Bodie" and "Luke" as Hagen
Look at that pack of rampaging canines in the picture above: they are just a fraction of the more than 200 mixed breed dogs that run amok in the deserted streets of Budapest during the climactic scenes of "White God." All 200 of them are trained actors, and they are a delight to watch in this gripping and thoroughly entertaining Hungarian 'fable' (I have also heard it described as a 'parable') of an oppressed minority fighting back against its oppressors. A more accurate description is a "revenge fantasy" along the lines of "Inglourious Basterds" -- and it has the same winking humor while depicting bloody scenes of violence and cruelty that is a hallmark of Quentin Tarantino. (Unlike QT, much of the violence and cruelty takes place offscreen).
The story follows two 'outcasts' -- 13 year-old tweener Lili, too young to be accepted by the older kids in her student orchestra, shuffled between divorced parents, smart and with a smarter mouth; and her mutt "Hagen", abandoned under a bridge by Lili's uncaring father when he refuses to pay the mongrel tax for owning a mixed breed. That part of the plot is never fleshed-out, but no matter, it is just a plot device anyway.
Equal time is given to each character as they struggle to survive in a new and hostile environment. As poor Hagen is passed from one sadistic 'owner' to another, and trained to become a fighter, one is also reminded of "Amores Perroes." Fortunately, Hagen makes his escape after only one fight. Any animal-lover will find satisfaction in the film's extended and strangely cathartic finale (he gets his revenge on everybody!), for the 'White God' of the title is us (humans), and we deserve this wake-up call for the way we treat the animals we share the planet with. On another level, because this is the product of a formerly-Communist country, the political subtext is inescapable. That said, the movie would not connect with an audience without the empathy aroused by the sad, loyal, confused countenance of the protagonist -- Hagen -- and his lovable cohorts throughout his travails. (Look at the pictures below: he's that good!). The young actress Zsofia Psotta is also quite believable and sympathetic as Lili.
A headline writer for the New York Times captured the essence of the movie best: "Man Bites Dog, Dog Bites Back." The film won the Prize Un Certain Regard at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. The dogs in the film were also awarded the Palm Dog Award. I saw it on the Closing Night of the Sarasota Film Festival, where it won the Narrative Feature competition. The film was selected as the Hungarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated (yet another glaring snub by the Oscars in a year full of them. Hagen, sic 'em!)
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| Good Hagen |
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| Bad Hagen |
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| Hagen's bestie |
