When those who whip the populace up into fear and hatred have a greater voice than those who use reason and science, man will do unspeakable, heartless things. What could be worse than turning on his most faithful, innocent friend, the dog? Of course, the film actually has as little to do with dogs as the original Godzilla had to do with monsters. With fantastic artistry, light touches of humor, and an homage to Japanese culture, Wes Anderson delivers a message film that is every bit as beautiful as it is touching.
While the film has the worldwide rise of populism clearly in its sites, my favorite moment was when the troubled stray Chief (voiced by Bryan Cranston) talks about a mistake he made after being adopted:
"Anyway, one morning a week later, the youngest boy, his name was Toshiro, woke me up at 6:15, bright-eyed, wide-awake, and he tried to pet me. He didn't mean anything by it. He was just being friendly. Apparently, I bit him so hard, I nearly chewed his hand off. Blood all over the kitchen floor. They rushed him to the emergency room and I got padlocked out in the tool shed with the lights out. It gave me some time to think. What happened? Why did I do that? To this day, I have no idea. I guess he scared me. I bite."
It's a painful, soul-searching moment, and those who have damaged in some way in their lives will identify. He doesn't know why he bites, but we do. He's never been shown any kindness. It's a parable in empathy and understanding that really resonated with me.
It was also telling that the hope in the film is with youth, and with the appealing to the hearts of the people. In another brilliant moment, the boy says:
"I have spent much of my time in recent weeks traveling in the company of the very kind of animals our mayor refers to as "bad-dogs." They are the finest living beings I have ever come to know in all my dozen years on this earth. To your readers, the good people of Megasaki, I say: the cycle of life always hangs in a delicate balance. Who are we, and who do we want to be?"
Who are we, indeed. What the world needs now, Anderson is telling us, is love and understanding. Simply fantastic.
While the film has the worldwide rise of populism clearly in its sites, my favorite moment was when the troubled stray Chief (voiced by Bryan Cranston) talks about a mistake he made after being adopted:
"Anyway, one morning a week later, the youngest boy, his name was Toshiro, woke me up at 6:15, bright-eyed, wide-awake, and he tried to pet me. He didn't mean anything by it. He was just being friendly. Apparently, I bit him so hard, I nearly chewed his hand off. Blood all over the kitchen floor. They rushed him to the emergency room and I got padlocked out in the tool shed with the lights out. It gave me some time to think. What happened? Why did I do that? To this day, I have no idea. I guess he scared me. I bite."
It's a painful, soul-searching moment, and those who have damaged in some way in their lives will identify. He doesn't know why he bites, but we do. He's never been shown any kindness. It's a parable in empathy and understanding that really resonated with me.
It was also telling that the hope in the film is with youth, and with the appealing to the hearts of the people. In another brilliant moment, the boy says:
"I have spent much of my time in recent weeks traveling in the company of the very kind of animals our mayor refers to as "bad-dogs." They are the finest living beings I have ever come to know in all my dozen years on this earth. To your readers, the good people of Megasaki, I say: the cycle of life always hangs in a delicate balance. Who are we, and who do we want to be?"
Who are we, indeed. What the world needs now, Anderson is telling us, is love and understanding. Simply fantastic.