Straw Dogs (1971 Film)

Straw Dogs (1971 film)

Straw Dogs is a 1971 psychological thriller directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Dustin Hoffman and Susan George. The screenplay by Peckinpah and David Zelag Goodman is based upon the 1969 novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm by Gordon Williams. The film's title derives from a discussion in the Tao Te Ching that likens the ancient Chinese ceremonial straw dog to forms without substance.

The film is noted for its violent concluding sequences and a complicated rape scene that critics point to as an example of Peckinpah's (and Hollywood's) debasement of women. Released theatrically the same year as A Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, and Dirty Harry, the film sparked heated controversy over the perceived increase of violence in cinema. Although controversial in 1971, Straw Dogs is considered by many to be one of Peckinpah's greatest films. The film premiered in US cinemas on December 29, 1971. A remake by Rod Lurie was released on September 16, 2011.