The Power of the Dog

"Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog."

We go through the film from Phil’s perspective and even though the power dynamic
shifts through 2 hours of screen-time, the cinematography consistently foreshadows
who the “Dog” in power is.

By composition, Peter always has the upper hand. The first time that he meets Phil,
Phil has the power but he is looking up at Peter. The second time Peter and Phil
interact, after Peter finds out about Phil’s secret, Phil has lost the power, and is
looking up at Peter, yet again. In both cases Peter is above Phil, because he is free.
The idea of Peter hovers over Phil as a reminder of the secret that he has buried
deep within.
There are other parallels in these scenes. They’re both about their crafts. These
scenes tell us about the dynamic between Phil and Peter in these two moments,
while showing us their tenderness (through their craft) with undertones of darkness.
Both scenes are about the two interacting with each other in front of all the
cowhands. In each, Phil is visibly in control as he sets the tone for how Peter will be
treated by the rest of the pack. But on an emotional level, while Phil is in control in
the first scene, Peter is in control in the second scene.
In the first scene, We see Phil caress the flower. In the greyish barely lit inn, the
scene with flower in Phil’s hand is lit softly. But when Peter walks up to him, all the
toxic masculinity he was taught re-surfaces and he suppresses the tenderness and
attacks Peter.
In the second scene, the surroundings are more vibrant, almost signifying the
presence of a little more colour between Phil and Peter; a little more hope. Phil’s
approach to be friendly with Peter is probably one of trying to keep his secret
contained. But when Peter calls Phil by his name, there’s a slight release of tension
from Phil because it is a hint of acceptance, of maybe finding someone who might
understand him like Bronco Henry understood him. The underlying darkness is of
Peter knowing Phil’s secret, having control of Phil’s future in the farm.

Peter is consistently underestimated. He is not perceived as a threat. He is seen as

emotionally and physically fragile, and having a lack of authority due to his
effeminate characteristics and his age in a place surrounded by older cowboys. In
their second interaction, Peter gets down on one knee, to be on the same level as
Phil. A foreshadowing of the fact that Peter could get to Phil’s level and emotionally
manipulate him like Phil manipulated Rose with his toxicity.
This shot also established to the audience everything that Phil uses to braid the rope
of hide. Motifs that would come back again at the end of the film.

If you look close enough, you’ll notice that the story was trying to tell you from the
beginning that Phil was never the one in power.