Straw Dogs thumbSam Peckinpahs ‘western transfered to rural England’ is a film with a history of censorship and troubled reception. When Mathematician David Sumner moves to his wifes home town he finds himself isolated in a violent community who don’t think twice about violating his home and eventually his marriage. Being something of a pacifist David goes out of his way to ignore the problem until his limits are reached during an attack on his home and he begins to fight back in the most violent manner possible.

An exploration of violence, Sam Peckinpah directs this disturbing and uncomfortable tale of an outsider in a closed community coming to terms with the nature of standing up for yourself. Deeply controversial on its release and for years after Straw Dogs is a test of morality in the face of difficult circumstance and is smarter than many would give it credit for.