White Dog

1982 "When man’s best friend becomes his fiercest enemy…"
7| 1h30m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 07 July 1982 Released
Producted By: Paramount
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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A trainer attempts to retrain a vicious dog that’s been raised to kill black people.

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Director

Samuel Fuller

Production Companies

Paramount

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White Dog Audience Reviews

Console best movie i've ever seen.
Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic
Abbigail Bush what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
Bob Pr. I have no problem with the anti-racist bias here. I DO have MAJOR problems with the techniques used in re-training the dog out of his racial bias. Possibly the author of the original story (and the film people) consulted only local dog trainers? My background (although a professional PhD clinical psychologist, now retired) includes 7 years study on my PhD in learning theory which also included teaching many fellow PhD candidates.This film's authors, directors, & screen writers obviously did not consult with any scientific university experts on the learning and retraining principles involved. As is, it makes an emotionally compelling story and worthwhile story but a flawed one. Why have the retrainer be one single black man -- why not have many blacks, of many ages and both genders? That's what any adequate retraining regime would have done. And why use a full size burger as a reward? In learning (and retraining) positive results do NOT depend on the size of the reward but upon its frequency of occurrence and immediacy to the desired response and desirability. While these are critical, important points in any effective retraining procedure, they are not those most people would be aware of.
Steve Pulaski White Dog is a polarizing, criminally underrated commentary on racism as a curable way of thinking. The most dehumanizing thing you could do to a race is view them as stereotypical caricatures and writer-director Samuel Fuller recognized this when he made this film. Therefore, to tell his unconventional story, he utilizes characters as metaphors and events as psychiatric tests, beautifully articulating the theory that a racist can be "rebirthed," so to speak, as someone who holds no judgments.One of the many reasons to appreciate this film is - unlike so many pictures today - this one possesses the courage and gumption to take an idea and gleefully run with it. Samuel Fuller holds up a magnifying glass to his audience, questioning their prejudices and tests their understanding and belief in racist behavior - can it be "cured" or is it there to stay after initial implementation? Fuller uses a beautiful, healthy white German Sheppard as the main character - or device - to try and give substance and justification to these questions. The dog is of an older age and is struck by Julie Sawyer (Kristy McNichol), a young, starving actress in search of work. She takes the dog to a vet where it is seen suffering minor injuries. Not long after Julie takes it home with her - as all other options seem to be unfulfilling - she learns her nameless dog is an attack dog, specifically trained to viciously maul black people. Frustrated and low on options, she takes the dog to a black man named Keys (Paul Winfield), who specializes in training animals, particularly dogs. He knows all about "white dogs" and informs Julie that at the age of a puppy this dog may have been beaten and mistreated by a black man (as directed by a white owner) in order to make the dog "attack black before black can attack hit." Julie is disgusted and angry. Her boyfriend believes the dog should be put down, while Julie (who represents the optimistic side of the "learned racism" debate) believes that it isn't the dog's fault that it was trained to hate. Another elderly white trainer named Carruthers (Burl Ives) also believes the dog is untrainable and, on that notion, should be put down.Julie decides to let Keys do his best to try and make the dog relearn. What follows is terrific and lengthy sequences of Keys trying to retrain the dog and overwrite its memory. All the while, we, the viewer, are put in a position where numerous questions have already been quietly communicated to us and we have to come up with answers in our head. White Dog challenges the viewer in a mystifying way that is equal parts subtle, manipulative, and brilliant. The film plays with your emotions, but never shamelessly milks the material as sentimental bait.The only thing that will likely serve as a distraction to viewers are the film's production values, which are obviously cheap and of an independent film budget. However, when a film is this crowded with blunt social commentary and heavy themes, questioning a person's true beliefs and ethics, production values have little importance whatsoever. Few will complain because the film provides such a smooth conversation on racism that the way it is presented doesn't need to be very polished. I'd rather have a low-budget piece of valuable commentary than a glossy, good-looking film with no brain in its head whatsoever.Racism is a tough subject to tackle in film, and with directors like Paul Haggis unintentionally cheapening the material for easy-consumption and others like Spike Lee clearly passionate about making it believable, a film like White Dog is a true miracle. Fuller's approach to racism and the blunt question it asks a person shouldn't be ignored. We're told in the film that dogs can only see in two colors; what happens when one of them is viewed as an evil color? Starring: Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, Burl Ives, and Jameson Parker. Directed by: Samuel Fuller.
cstotlar-1 Anyone - and I mean anyone - who has seen this film knows that it is not racist in any way. As so many people have hastened to add, it is anti-racist and very much so. It seems almost unimaginable that "White Dog" was banned but we are discussing people in the United States who have never even seen it but are quite willing to prevent it from being seen. It's a sad example of American "pride of ignorance" that puts us both part and behind in the world. The music by Ennio Morricone is fabulous. From the opening credits we have a rather simple musical format with piano and light strings but reinforced by 'celli, all to appear musically "three dimensional" and cluing us into the idea that the film goes well beyond the surface. Yes, it is anti-racist but its message goes deeper. Sam Fuller has made the point that racism is learned (and taught) to the extent that it is extremely difficult to eradicate. The message is crystal clear.Curtis Stotlar
chuckabuck91 White Dog should not have been banned for the reason of being racist! As an African American, I saw no sign of racism in this movie. Actually, I wish this movie had made the big screen for all Americans to see. The truth of how bigots actually train their pets and children to be racist should be shown around the world.Coming from the south east I can understand to great details on how this works! As professor Carrasco pointed out that the final turning point for the dog is turning on his master and then on the owner of the zoo because he smelled his previous owner. A dog's sense of smell (mainly German Sheppards) and taste contributed to his old user's tactics of attacking black people. Once a German Sheppard taste blood, he/ she will crave it, especially from anything or anyone whom it consider a threat!Just as all racist people, because they fear what they do not understand, animals and children are subjected to attack things they do not understand for fear of disappointing their masters or parents. How do we stop this form of terrorism in our country? As much as it makes me sick to watch movies like this and Rosewood, it keeps me sound as to the truth of how racism started and how it is still permeated!!