Red Dog: Delve into an Uplifting Journey of Unbreakable Bonds

and Unforgettable Adventures

Viewers are guaranteed to love both the emotional and humorous aspects of ‘Red Dog.’

The Herald Sun

Written by Vanessa Le

Red Dog: ★★★★½

The engaging film ‘Red Dog’ follows the story of a community that perseveres through the thick and
thin of life with the help of their loyalty and strong relationships. Kriv Stenders’ heartwarming film
takes us on a remarkable journey through the breathtaking landscapes of Western Australia whilst
following the surroundings of a man and his best friend, Red Dog.
What sets ‘Red Dog’ apart is its ability to effortlessly blend moments of laughter, tears, and pure joy.
Stenders’ beautiful piece of storytelling reminds us of the power of friendship and the profound
impact a loyal companion can have on our lives. The film explores themes of love and loss through
the characters emotional and social experiences, and the importance of having great loyalty in a
loving community due to the endless opportunities and the prevention of loneliness they provide for
us. Stenders also communicates to the audience how stereotypes are alarmingly capable of shaping the
outcome of how we present ourselves and act. These themes leave an essential lasting impact on the
audience of the film.
Firstly, let us look at the importance of having and being included in a supportive community, which
is a great element that Stenders explores in detail. There are those who argue that they can accomplish
almost anything by themselves, but there is always a way we can do it better with the help of others.
There are many instances where the community of Dampier have had each other’s backs. However,
something the viewers may not notice is the wide camera angles used whenever the film is showing
the members of the community. Although Stenders’ could have used much closer shots that display
the actors in detail, the wide shots are utilised to subtly highlight how necessary messages like this
are. An example of where this is not only displayed, but also an event between characters that conveys
the idea of having other’s backs, is when Nancy argues with the Cribbages or not letting Red Dog
enter the area. Another point worth noting is the next scene that once again, presents a wide angle of
the community members with Nancy, which walks one through the importance of having trustworthy
community members, and additionally the vastness of the community. This can leave a feeling of
surprise in the audience which keeps them engaged or enthusiastic to see other surprises the film may
have. At first, this scene might just seem like a way to demonstrate the community’s presence to show
support. However, the meaning behind this acting is further elaborated on when Nancy says, “He’s
accepted and cared for by the town. The community.” Nancy’s statement indicates that communities
are not just there to exist, but also to build lasting relationships with other individuals. Through these
instances in the film, Stenders expresses his value in terms of the importance of having a community
as he shows the positive aspects this theme. In context of Stenders’ potential thought process in the
construction of the film, he may have purposely avoided the negative features of a community
because there are not many and showing any possible bad events regarding communities can result in
the audience feeling worried about that occurrence happening. The audience of ‘Red Dog is also
influenced by the film in a beneficial way. They may feel encouraged to step out of their comfort zone
to build relationships. In addition to this, they could feel more ambitious in putting effort into
supporting their community or communities to assure equal treatment for all members. On a personal
level, I too have experienced care and support from a community. Entering high school, I frequently
isolated myself and with the help of some new friends, I gained the confidence, and I now can freely
express myself and feel less afraid to try new things. Although I had these opportunities and
experiences, my course of events is nowhere near close to Nancy’s experience which was a lot more
major, regarding the reason my friends decided to help me. Therefore, Stenders’ unique way of
presenting the importance of a community is exhibited through both the acting in the film and the
utilisation of camera angles throughout the film, which can also have additional impacts like leaving
certain lingering emotions in the audience.
Another factor to consider is how Stenders has illustrated characters and their personalities. Through
the character of Nancy, Stenders challenges the harsh stereotypes of modern-day society. Specifically,
the gender stereotypes of a female and sexism overall. Nancy character is designed in a way to oppose
the miner’s typical image of a how a female should act. She appears to act much more independent,
confident, and more dominant. Despite these strong traits, Nancy is still sexualised in the film in a
scene where she objectified by the miners on the bus. As soon as Nancy enters the bus, the miners are
seen moving over on their seats in an attempt to sit with Nancy. Furthermore, they try to convince her
that Red Dog won’t move no matter what. This treatment can be clarified as objectification because
even though the miners do not see females often, it does not give them the right to treat any women
they see like she is just someone who looks pretty for them. This message is significantly enhanced
throughout the film as the characters discover Nancy’s personality and story. In the film, Nancy
appears grieving over John’s death. Nonetheless, Red Dog chooses to comfort Nancy which illustrates
how Nancy is able to build strong relationships with other characters of the story. These events
portray Stenders prioritisation of equal treatment for all genders. While Nancy has a much braver and
independent approach to this matter, it is also worth considering how other characters, like Peeto,
could approach this situation differently; specifically in a more closeted manner. Rather than fighting
for his rights, Peeto hides when he is doing what he enjoys which challenges the Cribbages’ fixed
view of miners, who perceive them as, “dirty drunken miners.” These actions can have numerous
reason such as being afraid of the community turning against him, or not wanting to be excluded from
the community. These reasons are also valid because as mentioned earlier, having a supportive
community is particularly important for someone to feel comfortable. Although in Peeto’s case, he is
unable to feel comfortable doing what he wants because he has only witnessed them supporting him
when he is acting tough and masculine, which is an event that establishes him conforming to
stereotypes as a result of the pressure he feels from the fixed interpretations that others have about
him. In opposition of this idea, in his spare time, Peeto is knitting in his caravan, and this is scene in
one of the scenes of the film. This scene is slow-paced while zooming in on Peeto to show how
isolated he is while knitting compared to when he is with his whole community where he is louder
and livelier. He displays a more relaxed and laidback feeling in this scene, but this is suddenly
interrupted when someone knocks on the door, and he is startled. Peeto quickly hides his kitting
supplies, yet afterwards, the cat walks up to the door with a ball of yarn whilst Peeto is still talking at
the door. However, Peeto has already shown signs of embarrassment before this. This scene clearly
shows how much Peeto restricts himself from showing others this ‘weaker’ side of himself. Stenders’
ideas in terms of the stereotypes and identity subject, can contradict how he may have thought when
planning the community aspect of the story, because there are much more negative elements related to
stereotypes. Accordingly, he shows what the audience should avoid doing or thinking to prevent them
from the dangers of stereotypes in both the story and modern-day society. Reflecting on these scenes,
I believe that I too have experienced this form of fear and discrimination. Like Nancy I have been
discriminated against for my gender when I played soccer in primary school. I had an all-girls team
who I played with against other school, but they never wanted to practice with me. My mind thought
an easy solution was just to practice with the boys’ team, but they quickly assumed I was bad because
I was a girl. Even if I was bad at the sport, they made assumptions that regarded my gender. Like
Peeto, I also used to isolate myself from presenting the way I was comfortable in terms of clothing
and appearance. Both these experiences have shaped and affected my current identity, and despite
being able to express myself more comfortably now, I often restrain myself from acting in ways that
would be seen as weird as well as not talking a lot in case I accidentally say something that I would
get judged for or feel regretful about afterwards. This limits my freedom as well as prevents me from
saying things that may hurt others. My experiences have taught me crucial lessons, but they have also
shown me how well Stenders’ scenes provide his audience an opportunity to reflect on themselves and
their experiences.

Overall, Stenders has greatly constructed the film in a way that debunks different themes throughout
the entire film to keep the film both engaging whilst simultaneously allowing the audience to reflect
on the lessons being taught in the film. Many aspects of the film are relatable for the audience,
provokes them to reflect on their experiences, and gives the audience a sense of being immersed in the
film. The reason behind this may be because of how realistic the events are Personally, I have found
‘Red Dog’ to be incredibly fun to watch as I can connect with the characters as well as have a laugh at
some moments in the film.

‘Red Dog’ is a fantastic film for almost anyone to watch, but due to the themes being relatable for
certain parts of the audience, I would recommend this film for pre-teens, teenagers, and up to young
adults, as they are frequently the victims of not only the kinds of situations previously discussed,
which involve social encounters and situations, but also other aspects of the film relating to things like
loss of a loved one, and loyalty in relationships and communities. In relation to the matter of
relationships, the film goes more in-depth about friendships and partially the topic of romantic
relationships. Hence, this film provides them with an engaging and enjoyable experience while
casting a warm light over the important themes included in the storyline. This limited range of
recommended audience is also the reason behind why I didn’t give the film a full rating of 5 stars
despite it having amazing and memorable elements that have been used wisely. This restriction
hinders the experience of much younger or much older audiences. However, the humorous moments
of the film make the experience fun and appealing to all ages. Which is why the film only loses ½ a
star rating rather than deducting one full star.