Runtime: 103 harrowing minutes
Directed by: Martin Rosen
Starring: John Hurt, Christopher Benjamin, James Bolam, Nigel Hawthrone, Warren Mitchell
From: A few different United States and UK companies, including United Artists
Parents, do NOT show The Plague Dogs to your children!
There was more than one choice that could have been made concerning the viewing of additional animation best for adults. Selecting the other Martin Rosen animated film adapted from a Richard Adams novel seemed logical, especially after stumbling upon a random YouTube account that had upscaled 4K music videos and films, presumably done by AI. The usage of such tools for this purpose, that’s a rabbit hole best worth not going down. To clarify, what was viewed was the original UK release at 103 minutes rather than a much shorter edit released in the United States.
Another rabbit hole that I don’t want to go down: the usage of animals in laboratories to test products or otherwise conduct experiments. The opening minutes are quite upsetting (and sets the tone) as we see a Labrador mix dog named Rowf drown in a tank then resuscitated; this is a common practice. No wonder a fox terrier named Snitter convinces Rowf to escape. This movie is so grim and bleak, I can’t even make a joke concerning how rough the film is-or is that RUFF-when humans are killed, death is a constant theme, Snitter often wishes that he would die, neither dog receives any breaks from fate, and there is a reason why the film is titled The Plague Dogs.
Between the plot and my stating that the tone is comparable to such bleak entertainment (the movie is perfect for those that want to create their own Bleak Week in the future) as Grave of the Fireflies, many will be hesitant to ever press “play” in the future. If abuse of canines is not a deal-breaker, you’ll find a dark yet fascinating story as the two leads are forced to survive in the rural northwestern section of England-full of woods & mountains-and question their own mortality as their only companion is a fox they have a love/hate relationship with & as they kill sheep, occasionally pondering if they should quit & embrace death instead.
Several elements kept me transfixed through this harrowing journey. The British voice acting was swell, from John Hurt and Nigel Hawthrone to names less familiar to me and even Patrick Stewart in a small part during the conclusion. The music was pleasant. However, it was the stunning animation that captivated me-partially the animation was done in San Francisco-none other than Brad Bird was one of the animators. Whatever I review next, undoubtedly will be less heartbreaking and traumatic than The Plague Dogs.
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