This little documentary film made in France almost a century ago has turned up in at least two different collections of very early movies, so it continues to receive rather more exposure than the average French documentary of 1908. It is well photographed and retains a certain amount of interest, especially for dog enthusiasts, of course, but viewers whose love of animals extends to other species should be cautioned-- this movie is not for the squeamish.
The version included in Kino's series "The Movies Begin" has been abridged, with the unpleasant scenes removed. In its unedited form, the film is divided into eight brief sections showing eight different kinds of dogs: 1) a setter; 2) a "working dog"; 3) a beggar's dog; 4) a shepherd's dog; 5) a baker's dog; 6) a milkman's dog; 7) a poacher's dog; and 8) a fox terrier. These are all dogs who work for a living, so to speak, and each one is shown on the job. This is not David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks, these are real-life situations, and the atmosphere is gritty. Within the first few moments of the film, the setter promptly kills a rabbit. The beggar's dog guides a legless man who rolls along on a cart. The poacher's dog swims out into a pond and kills a duck. Worst of all, from a sensitive viewer's perspective, is the final portion, in which the fox terrier kills a struggling fox by chewing its neck. The sequence goes on and on, interminably, and then concludes with a horrible close-up of a grinning hunter proudly holding up the stiff dead fox for the camera. Yecch!
Interesting, perhaps, from a historical and sociological viewpoint, but this film is not recommended for casual viewing.
The version included in Kino's series "The Movies Begin" has been abridged, with the unpleasant scenes removed. In its unedited form, the film is divided into eight brief sections showing eight different kinds of dogs: 1) a setter; 2) a "working dog"; 3) a beggar's dog; 4) a shepherd's dog; 5) a baker's dog; 6) a milkman's dog; 7) a poacher's dog; and 8) a fox terrier. These are all dogs who work for a living, so to speak, and each one is shown on the job. This is not David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks, these are real-life situations, and the atmosphere is gritty. Within the first few moments of the film, the setter promptly kills a rabbit. The beggar's dog guides a legless man who rolls along on a cart. The poacher's dog swims out into a pond and kills a duck. Worst of all, from a sensitive viewer's perspective, is the final portion, in which the fox terrier kills a struggling fox by chewing its neck. The sequence goes on and on, interminably, and then concludes with a horrible close-up of a grinning hunter proudly holding up the stiff dead fox for the camera. Yecch!
Interesting, perhaps, from a historical and sociological viewpoint, but this film is not recommended for casual viewing.
