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Furious star slams ‘piece of s**t’ Oscar frontrunner

Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog is up for 12 Oscars – but one acclaimed actor has unleashed on the film in a controversial outburst.

Nick BondNick Bond
@bondnickbond
2 min read
March 2, 2022 - 9:30AM
The Power of the Dog trailer

Veteran actor Sam Elliott has sensationally slammed The Power of the Dog, the most-nominated film at this year’s Oscars, labelling it a “piece of s**t.”

The latest film from acclaimed New Zealand director Jane Campion, the Western drama The Power of the Dog has received a leading 12 nominations for this year’s Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

But 77-year-old Elliott, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in A Star Is Born and has starred in many a Western movie over the years, is no fan of Campion’s take on the genre.

During an appearance on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron, the incensed star described the movie as an “evisceration of the American myth.”

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Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog.
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog.
Actor Sam Elliott has starred in many a Western.
Actor Sam Elliott has starred in many a Western.

He compared the cowboys in the film, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee, to Chippendales dancers who “wear bow ties and not much else.”

“That’s what all these f**king cowboys in that movie looked like,” he said. “They’re running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie.”

“I thought, ‘What the f**k? What the f**k?’ This is the guy that’s done westerns forever,” he continued, referring to himself.

Interviewer Marc Maron interjected, pointing out the “allusions of homosexuality” were a central theme of the film, which suggests Cumberbatch’s character, a troubled rancher living in rural Montana in 1925, may be a closeted gay man.

Elliott claims Kiwi director Jane Campion has no business making a Western. Picture: AFP
Elliott claims Kiwi director Jane Campion has no business making a Western. Picture: AFP
Aussie actor Kodi Smit-McPhee also stars in the film.
Aussie actor Kodi Smit-McPhee also stars in the film.

Elliott also slammed Campion, saying that while he “loves” her previous work, he didn’t think she was the right person to tell an American Western story given she’s a New Zealander.

“What the f**k does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American west?” he said. “And why in the f**k does she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say, ‘This is the way it is.’ That f**king rubbed me the wrong way, pal.”

Elliott’s comments have sparked fierce debate on social media, with some applauding the actor for giving his honest opinion on the film – while others questioned why exactly he had such an issue with the film’s depiction of homosexuality:

The Power of the Dog is the first film directed by a woman to receive more than 10 Oscar nominations, and has an approval rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

News.com.au movie reviewer Wenlei Ma called the film a “breathtaking portrait of wounded masculinity,” writing that it is “a story about cruelty, fear, regret and repression.”

“By the time you realise it’s there, The Power of the Dog has already nestled deep in your consciousness, a remarkable film that will never leave you,” she wrote.

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Originally published as Furious star slams ‘piece of s**t’ Oscar frontrunner

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/movies/furious-star-slams-piece-of-st-oscar-frontrunner/news-story/9338d4b21f5d7c63add0d7633eb03179