Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a sensational and yet deeply unsettling performance as Phil Burbank
in Jane Campion's thrilling adaptation of "The Power of the Dog." Based upon the classic
Thomas Savage novel of the same name, the film features Cumberbatch as a rough, ruthless rancher
who uses physical, mental, and emotional intimidation to dominate everyone around him.
Cumberbatch's ability to lean into the unspoken complexities of this character shines through in
every scene. He seamlessly transitions from bemused observance to pure, unbridled rage
to hidden heartbreak from moment to moment in a performance that's bound to sear itself into
your memory long after the credits roll. It's clear from the second we meet Phil
Burbank in "The Power of the Dog" that this is a man who uses his loaded words
as weapons against absolutely anyone. "I wonder what little lady made these."
"Actually, I did, sir. My mother was a florist so I made them to look like the ones in our garden."
"Oh, well, do pardon me."
It seems to be no secret that he's the kind of person who will not hesitate to seize
an opportunity to verbally remind someone of their place. And if you can't avoid his abuses,
you sure better be able to endure them. His relationship with his brother, George,
for example, only seems to be stable because George manages to remain stoic
when, on a whim, his brother takes aim at him with those verbal daggers.
﻿Consider the establishing moment when the two brothers are out herding some cattle together.
What begins as a sunny little trip down memory lane of their 25 years as partners devolves into
a flurry of insults just because George doesn't say exactly what Phil wants to hear at the moment.
"You know what we should do?" "What's that?"
"Go camping again in the mountains and shoot ourselves some fresh elk liver.
Cook it right there on the coals, like Bronco Henry taught us.
You got a sore gut?" "No."
"You act like it pains you to hitch two words together."
Cumberbatch's ability to turn the character's entire demeanor on a dime is sensational,
and it sets the tone for the difficult dynamic that's at play in the Burbanks' abode.
Of course, that's just the beginning of what's to come from Cumberbatch's spine-tingling character
work as Phil Burbank, and those brotherly exchanges become ultra unnerving when the
subject of the conversation takes an even more personal tone -- at least in Phil's busy mind.
Every second of his screen time is powerful and riveting, but there's one sequence in
particular that speaks volumes about who this character is. Let's take a look at the
Benedict Cumberbatch scene in "The Power of the Dog" we can't stop talking about.
Even before Phil reveals the true reaches of his cruelty, there's a moment early in the film when
Phil reveals exactly what his biggest button is, with a warning for nobody to touch it.
At this point in the movie, Phil has made it clear enough that he idolizes the mysterious Bronco
Henry with a level of respect that no one else has. And he's quick to invoke his mentor's memory
the second he might face any level of slight. Even something as simple as being declined for a drink
by his own brother is too great an insult. "Twenty-five years ago, where were you,
Georgie boy? Hm?" "With you."
"I'll tell you. Chubby know-nothing too dumb to get through college. People helped you,
fatso. One person in particular taught you and me ranching so we damn well succeeded."
"Bronco Henry." "Mm."
Without raising a pistol or even a fist, Phil forces his brother to stand down,
which, once again, reestablishes Phil's place as the incontrovertible leader of his pack.
Cumberbatch also does an excellent job of introducing us to an important element of the
character when it comes to his hypersensitivity over the mere mention of Bronco Henry's name.
In this scene, he shows that he'll accept nothing less than the utmost respect be paid to the man.
"So. So to us brothers.
Romulus and Remus, and the wolf who raised us." "Bronco Henry! Bronco! Bronco Henry! El Lupo. Bronco Henry!"
"Boss is leaving."
Certainly, Cumberbatch is no stranger to delivering excellent, nuanced performances,
but in "The Power of the Dog," he artfully balances his character's animalistic exterior
with the vulnerability that bubbles beneath his every breath.
And this scene of him using an outward show of force against his brother to overshadow his own
emotional delicacies is a blistering bit of foreshadowing for almost everything that's
ahead for this character and this film. Thanks for watching. Click the links in
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