The Plague Dogs (1982)
Genre: Animation / Adventure
Duration: 103 minuten
Alternative title: 'n Hondeleven voor Twee
Country:
United States / United Kingdom
Directed by: Martin Rosen
Stars: John Hurt, James Bolam and Christopher Benjamin
IMDb score:
7,7 (10.148)
Releasedate: 21 October 1982
The Plague Dogs plot
"Escape to a different world...and share the adventure of a lifetime."
Two dogs manage to escape from the Research Center where animal experiments are being conducted. They are in a bad way. Large black Labrador Rowf has a traumatic fear of water after the drowning tests he endured. Snitter, the black and white terrier, has become neurotic due to an intervention in the brain. The locals are shocked by these unusual sheep killers and chicken thieves, but their escape becomes a nationwide affair when fears are expressed that the two are infected with bubonic plague.
Actors and actresses
Snitter (voice)
Rowf (voice)
The Tod (voice)
Dr. Boycott (voice)
Tyson / Wag (voice)
Pekinese (voice)
Major (voice)
Laboratory Assistant (voice)
Lynn Driver (voice)
Farmer (voice)
Reviews & comments
mrklm
-
- 12367 messages
- 10458 votes
After the success of his directorial debut Watership Down, Martin Rosen again adapted a book by Richard Adams. His growth as a director is visible here, for example in his choice to tell the story entirely from the perspective of the animals involved. The human characters - with a few exceptions - are filmed entirely at ankle height. Furthermore, the human dialogue often overlaps images of the two heroes of this story. Rosen therefore succeeds in making it clear that Snitter [John Hurt] and Rowf [Christopher Benjamin] are alone in a hostile world.
In the confrontational opening, we see scientists throw Rowf into a water tank to see how long he can last before drowning. They only save him when he is completely exhausted, all in the interest of science. Snitter has been used for experimental brain surgery, so that reality and delusions become mixed up and he can no longer distinguish between them. They manage to escape from the lab, but not before we see what other lab animals have to go through. The tone has been set...
Snitter dreams of a life with an owner, something Rowf never had. They meet The Tod [James Bolam], who helps them but is also responsible for the deaths of a number of sheep in the area. When news spreads that Snitter and Rowf may have been infected with the plague, a real manhunt begins for both dogs.
It is an impressive film with a poetic ending, but the accumulation of depressing events and revelations make this a heavy film that I do not think is suitable for small children. In any case, it is not easy to last 80 minutes on a journey full of darkness in which there seems to be no light on the horizon.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Corcicus
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- 2902 messages
- 4028 votes
As a great historian (Gibbon) once said, history is the account of humanity's follies and crimes. Even in our own time, the laundry list of crimes is long. Against each other, but especially against animals and nature, all stops are pulled out and human destructiveness knows no bounds.
Martin Rosen is aware of this uncomfortable truth and chose to tackle this theme in his few films. Courageous and truly unique in its cinematographic struggle. Once again he chose John Hurt to play the leading role. The film may be less impressive and entertaining than the debut with the rabbits, but the message is just as strong. Such a shame that the situation has not improved much since then (40 years ago).
Translated from Dutch · View original
clubsport
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- 4169 messages
- 7163 votes
a forgotten animated film for adults that has a strong impact, the drama content is high and the story is realistic, hard but strong.
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