How the Face in the Mountain Was Created in ‘The Power of the Dog’

“The Power of the Dog” has been the talk of Tinseltown ever since it debuted last fall, but to the masses it may still be something of an enigma. It’s the first film from Oscar-winning “The Piano” and “Bright Star” filmmaker Jane Campion in over a decade, and boasts Oscar-nominated performances from the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.With the film poised to be a major presence at Sundays Oscars, you may be wondering what it’s about and where to watch it.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefWhether or not “The Power of the Dog” wins the big prize at the Academy Awards on Sunday, David Strong, chief executive of the New Zealand Film Commission for the past eight months, is guaranteed to be an in-demand visitor to Los Angeles over the next week.With the Jane Campion-directed film handily showcasing New Zealand’s talent, locations and craft strengths, the country has now reopened its borders to international visitors. Also sweetening the deal are more studio spaces.Ahead of Strong’s flight to Los Angeles, where he has a week of meetings set up with Hollywood decision makers, he spoke to Variety about what New Zealand has to offer going forward.What has been the impact of “The Power of the Dog” and its Oscar nominations? It’s already been a big success story for us.

Jon Burlingame Film composers are always looking for novel ways to express ideas and convey character in music. Two of this year’s original-score nominees were especially innovative in finding musical solutions for storytelling challenges.“Dune” demanded a sonic landscape unlike anything composer Hans Zimmer had ever tackled (including such sci-fi projects as “Inception” and “Interstellar,” which brought him two of his previous 11 Oscar nominations).

For his The Power of the Dog role of Phil Burbank—a hyper-masculine, repressed rancher in Montana— Benedict Cumberbatch went to ‘dude school’ to learn such old world cowboy skills as roping, taxidermy and even banjo playing. It was vital to him that he deeply embody the world of Thomas Savage’s 1967 based-on-truth novel, brought to the screen by writer-director Jane Campion. When Phil’s brother George (Jesse Plemons) marries Rose (Kirsten Dunst), Phil torments Rose and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), but Phil finds himself drawn to the young boy, forming a relationship that ultimately results in his downfall.

director Jane Campion didn’t mince her words while addressing the 77-year-old Western icon’s “sexist” criticism of her 12-time Oscar-nominated flick last week. The 2022 best director Oscar nominee gave her rebuttal during an interview with Variety at the Directors Guild of America Awards on Saturday night.“I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H,” Campion, 67, told the magazine before the ceremony.

The Power Of The Dog, labelling him “sexist”.Last month, the A Star Is Born actor took aim at the “allusions to homosexuality” in the Netflix film, as well as an LA Times article that talked about the “evisceration of the American myth”, and called the film “a piece of shit”.The Western film follows Benedict Cumberbatch’s character, a sexually repressed ranch owner, and his fraught relationship with his brother (Jesse Plemons), his brother’s new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee).During Elliott’s interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, the host noted that homosexuality is “what the movie’s about”, the actor going on to call Campion “a brilliant director”.However, Elliott then added: “What the fuck does this woman from down there [New Zealand] know about the American west? Why the fuck did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? And say this is the way it was? That fucking rubbed me the wrong way.”Responding to Elliott’s criticism, Campion told Variety: “I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. He’s not a cowboy; he’s an actor.

as the British Academy Film Awards returned Sunday with a live, black-tie ceremony after a pandemic-curtailed event in 2021.Jane Campion was named best director for “The Power of the Dog,” only the third woman to win the prize in the awards’ 75-year history.Lead acting trophies went to Hollywood star Will Smith and British performer Joanna Scanlan, as an event that has worked to overcome a historic lack of diversity recognized a wide range of talents — including the first deaf acting winner in Troy Kotsur for “CODA.”Last year’s awards ceremony was largely conducted online, with only the hosts and presenters appearing in person.

After Sam Elliott made headlines over his controversial comments about the Oscar-nominated The Power of the Dog, the film’s creative team swiftly came to the project’s defense.

Jane Campion is clapping back after actor Sam Elliott described her Oscar-nominated western “The Power of the Dog” as a “piece of s**t.”

Variety on the red carpet at the Directors Guild Awards. “And the West is a mythic space and there’s a lot of room on the range.

The Power Of The Dog.Earlier this month Elliott made a dig at the “allusions of homosexuality” in Jane Campion’s Oscar-nominated film. He compared the film’s characters to Chippendales dancers who “wear bowties and not much else”.But when Marc Maron, whom Elliott was speaking to on the WTF podcast, noted that homosexuality is “what the movie’s about” (Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Phil, a sexually repressed ranch owner), Elliott criticised Campion’s interpretation of the American west.Describing her as “a brilliant director” before making his point about the “piece of shit” film, Elliott said: “What the fuck does this women from down there [New Zealand] know about the American west? Why the fuck did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? And say this is the way it was? That fucking rubbed me the wrong way.”Now, Smit-McPhee, who portrays young aspiring medic Peter in the film – and who is the suggested love interest of Phil – has reacted to Elliott’s comments.The Australian actor told Variety that he has “nothing” to say about Elliott’s digs “because I’m a mature being and I’m passionate about what I do, and I don’t really give energy to anything outside of that.“Good luck to him,” he added in the on-camera interview.Kodi Smit-McPhee's response to Sam Elliott's criticism of #ThePowerOfTheDog? "Nothing.

The star of “The Power of the Dog” isn’t sweating the criticism.

Vanity Fair profile published Monday where she discussed her past trauma.She revealed that when she won her coveted golden trophy, she was pregnant again with her daughter Alice, now 27.“I just couldn’t do anything; I was stunned by the grief experience, and I just couldn’t work,” she said about the loss of her baby boy.“It’s the most humanizing experience I’ve had,” Campion added. “You feel solidarity with everybody else that’s expressing grief.

Defending his art. Benedict Cumberbatch is taking ownership over his work in The Power of the Dog after Sam Elliott criticized the film’s “allusions of homosexuality.”

BAFTA Film Sessions event — was referring to Elliott’s controversial appearance on Marc Maron’s “WTF Podcast” last week, in which he’d called “Dog” a “piece of s–t” and compared the characters to Chippendales dancers “who wear bowties and not much else.”“That’s what all these f – – king cowboys in that movie looked like,” Elliott ranted. “They’re all running around in chaps and no shirts.

Zack Sharf Benedict Cumberbatch is defending “The Power of the Dog” against criticisms made last week by actor Sam Elliott, who called Jane Campion’s Oscar contender a “piece of shit” in part because of its “allusions of homosexuality.” Cumberbatch stars in the film as a closeted gay rancher in 1825 Montana whose repression manifests in toxic ways such as making life hell for his new sister-in-law (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee).“I’m trying very hard not to say anything about a very odd reaction that happened the other day on a radio podcast over here. Someone really took offense to – I haven’t heard it so it’s unfair for me to comment in detail on it – to the West being portrayed in this way,” Cumberbatch said during a recent BAFTA Film Sessions interview.

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