Stray Dog

Stereotypes destroying a look into the motorcycling community. The director chose a seemingly typical biker, Ron “Stray Dog” Hall, as the guide. Thanks, however to an empathetic approach, we find that he is a sensitive man who gradually tried to find in Buddhism, Christianity and paganism the spiritual balance that he had lost fighting in Vietnam. The documentary presents Ron to us as an extremely sensitive, spiritual man who lovingly takes care of his Mexican wife (he is not a racist) and his puppies (he loves animals), and it is not a problem for him to cradle his grandson (he loves kids). If he has any kind of dark side, we’re not going to find out about it. Every newly revealed layer of Hall’s personality only confirms the good-heartedness of his character. The film thus lacks any unsettling undercurrents. Granik chose simple “fly-on-the-wall” observation. She avoids interacting with social actors and does not use nondiegetic music or offscreen commentary. The scenes are arranged chronologically as the events happened. I really expected more from the director of the uncompromising Winter’s Bone than a purely observational, affectionate family film about the goodness of people and social rejection that evokes nothing more than the pleasant feeling that one gets from the titular subject of the film. 60% (2018.06.23)