White God ***½ (2014, Zsófia Psotta) – Movie Review

Zsófia Psotta is a little marvel as 13-year-old Lili, who fights to protect her dog Hagen and is devastated when her father sets Hagen free on the streets. Young though she is, she sets out to find her dog and save him from a terrible life as a prize fighter.

Co-writer/director Kornél Mundruczó’s Hungarian film (original title Fehér isten) is a dark and visceral and highly emotional experience, punchily delivered and richly achieved. White God is an edge of seat movie, unusual and uncategorisable. You never know quite where it is heading. Above all, Hagen is a great dog! White God was honoured as Hungary’s official submission in the Best Foreign Language film category of the 87th Academy Awards 2015.

It’s rated R for violent content including bloody images and language, and the abuse of Hagen and prize fighting scenes are hard to watch, so it’s a commendably tough-toned movie. Therefore it’s very ironic that this heart-breaking story of a girl and her dog could otherwise be a Disney film. Let’s call it the anti-Disney version.

The adult performances are all good, but the inventive camerawork and of course the dogs are great, with Hagen irresistible. You just want to take Hagen home with you and adopt him. Giving an admirably tough and determined performance that fits her character exactly, Zsófia Psotta is the star of the movie, but even she has tough competition from Hagen as a scene-stealer.

Hagen is portrayed by twin dogs Luke and Body, found in Arizona as their caravan park owner was taking them to an animal shelter. A world record of 274 dogs were used in the movie, all of them mixed breeds adopted from animal shelters.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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