Cumberbatch defended “The Power of the Dog” after actor Elliott dubbed Jane Campion’s Oscar contender a “piece of trash” last week, citing “allusions to homosexuality” as one of the film’s flaws. He said that it was necessary to portray Burbank’s complex character in the 21st century, his toxic masculinity that stemmed from his repressed sexuality, “because there are many of him still in the world.”
In the film, Cumberbatch plays a closeted gay rancher in 1825 Montana whose repression reveals itself in harmful ways, such as making life difficult for his new sister-in-law (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) from a previous marriage. As the film progresses, the group’s relationship becomes more intense, with a focus on Burbank’s background, as multiple sequences highlight the harmful repercussions of repressed homosexuality on the hard-nosed cowboy.
The british actor Benedict Cumberbatch has responded to criticism of his Oscar-nominated depiction of rancher Phil Burbank in Jane Campion’s Western “The Power of the Dog.”
During a roundtable discussion as part of BAFTA’s Film Sessions on Friday, Cumberbatch appeared to address American actor Sam Elliott’s comments about the film, though he did not mention any names. Elliott, a 77-year-old 1883 actor and Western genre veteran, had criticized the film’s queer themes on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast a few days back.
Elliott claimed on WTF With Marc Maron that Campion, a New Zealand-born filmmaker who recently became the first woman to receive two Oscar nominations for Best Director in her career, was not qualified to portray a story about the American West.
The actor appeared concerned by the film’s deconstruction of traditional Western clichés like cowboys. Campion’s cowboys, according to Elliott, are like Chippendale dancers who “wear bow ties and not much else.” He also said that all through the film, there are numerous hints towards homosexuality.
Cumberbatch said that this is a very specific case of suppression, and there was nothing wrong in looking at a character to get to the fundamental causes of it.
The film “The Power of the Dog” has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards, making it the year’s most-nominated film. The film will compete in prestigious categories like the best picture and best director. The drama is now streaming on Netflix.
(Photo: lev radin)
