White God, 2014.
Directed by Kornél Mundruczó.
Starring Zsófia Psotta, Sándor Zsótér, Lili Horváth and Lili Monori.
SYNOPSIS:
When a young girl and her pet dog are separated, each begins a journey to find each other again, whatever the cost.
White God is a Hungarian film about a 13-year-old girl called Lili (Zsófia Psotta) and her pet dog Hagen, who get separated and have to find each other again, proving that love will conquer all and the oppressive powers-that-be can’t keep you down when you have desire in your heart. That may sound like the theme of a 1970s European kids TV show and possibly not the stuff of more mature movies but White God is a film that journeys beyond a simple plot and has a lot more depth to it than a simple summary could ever describe.
This is because director/co-writer Kornél Mundruczó is using his story as a metaphor to deal with themes of separation, rebellion, instinct and the power of the soul, whether human or animal. But there is also the matter of making those metaphors entertaining and Mundruczó does this by changing the tone of the film every so often, just to keep you invested in what is going on. The first part of the film is very much like a Disney film as we are introduced to Lili, Hagen and Lili’s estranged father, who has taken Lili in but was not prepared for Hagen. Lili’s father lives in an apartment block that does not allow pets and soon gets a visit from a dog catcher who demands he pay to keep the mutt. Lili’s father delays having to pay but Hagen soon proves troublesome as Lili’s band practise gets interrupted by the dog and causes Lili to quit rather than put the dog outside.
That is the Disney part of the film as it gives us the family element, showing us the totally believable bond between Lili and Hagen and making us care about what will happen to them. Once Lili’s father drops the dog off in the street in a fit of rage the film takes a nasty turn as Lili’s protests and commands to Hagen to stay put pull on the heartstrings. The film then splits between Lili and Hagen as each tries to find each other again, with Lili rejoining the band and trying to obey her father but all the while desperately missing Hagen. Hagen begins his life on the streets, scavenging for food and being chased by dog catchers before being traded to a restaurant owner who sets about ‘training’ Hagen for the murky world of dog fighting.
These are the scenes in the film that are the most harrowing, as the innocent dog is put through a tough regime of cruelty to bring out his killer instinct, all the while Lili is having to obey her father and strict music teacher to keep the peace.
But the final act is when White God really becomes something you haven’t really seen before as Hagen manages to escape his captors and begins rallying the other street dogs to fight back against everyone who has wronged them. It may sound like an odd premise and a little bit like the sci-fi fantasy of Rise of the Planet of the Apes when you see it written down but the film has sneakily shifted from Disney adventure to grim reality drama to a horror movie and it works, thanks to that early investment in Lili and Hagen.
The violence that is dished out by Hagen and his followers isn’t as uncomfortable to watch as the violence that was dished out on Hagen in the previous act but that isn’t the point; the point is where Hagen and Lili end up at the end of their story and how has all of what they have seen and been through affected them. We may never know for sure but nevertheless, White God is at once both a totally unique and utterly familiar film that has highs and lows but is never boring. The acting isn’t up to much if truth be told – the animals easily out-act the humans – but the story is gripping and the film is very well shot, the main characters (of both species) having an ethereal quality about them against a realistic backdrop of gritty everyday life. The messages are there if you want to see them or you can just enjoy a story of lost love that just happens to be between a young girl and a dog but has more heart and human spirit about it than any survival movie or character piece you care to mention.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Chris Ward
https://youtu.be/IWWtOQOZSTI?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published August 3, 2015. Updated April 15, 2018.
