Sam Elliot recently criticized Benedict Cumberbatch‘s movie “The Power Of The Dog”. He called it a “piece of sh*t”. Responding to Elliot’s Comment, The Marvel actor spoke his mind on the matter. Benedict’s balanced reaction to Elliot’s remark is getting a lot of applause.
The Controversy Between Benedict And Sam Elliot
It all started with Sam Elliot appearing on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. Where he said that he was unhappy about the wrong portrayal of the American West. He added, “They’re running around in chaps and no shirts,” he said. “There’s all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the movie.” He also called out New Zealander director Jane Campion for not belonging to America.
He said, “what the f*ck does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American west? And why the f*ck does she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say, ‘This is the way it was.’ That f*cking rubbed me the wrong way, pal.” Elliott’s take about the film attracted criticism from across the movie community.
Benedict’s Measured Reply To Sam Elliot
Per Digital Spy, Benedict Cumberbatch reacted to the comments made by Elliot at the BAFTA’s Film Sessions on 4th March. Ben spoke about the importance of talking about his character, Phil Burbank’s toxic masculinity in the movie. During his answer, the Imitation Game actor took a dig at the reaction of Sam Elliot.
He said, “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.”
“Without meaning to stir over the ashes of that […] 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.”
He further added, “These people still exist in our world. Whether it’s on our doorstep or whether it’s down the road or whether it’s someone we meet in a bar or pub or on the sports field, there is aggression and anger and frustration and an inability to control or know who you are in that moment that causes damage to that person and, as we know, damage to those around them.”
Returning to his original answer he concluded, “There’s no harm in looking at a character to get to the root causes of that. This is a very specific case of repression, but also due to an intolerance for that true identity that Phil is that he can’t fully be.
“The more we look under the hood of toxic masculinity and try to discover the root causes of it, the bigger chances we have of dealing with it when it arises with our children.”
The Power Of The Dog
Elliott’s objections to Power of the Dog appear to miss the essence of the film, which has struck a chord with many people, including the Academy. It remains to be seen how many of The Power of the Dog’s 11 Oscar nominations it will win. The picture, on the other hand, has been doing well throughout the season. It earned Best Movie at the Chicago Film Critics Association. It also won Best Drama at the Golden Globes. Additionally, the movie is one of AFI’s Top 10 Films of the Year. The movie had released in November last year and is currently available on Netflix.
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