In “The Brown Dog,” ‘Nobody’ (voiced by late actor Michael K. Williams) is a solitary and cynical night watchman. He waxes poetic while languishing alone in an unheated security booth on a cold night. As his cognitive functions abandon him—along with a growing, creeping paranoia—his only company to break his solitude is a radio jockey vehemently expressing a need for compassion in a cruel world (the unmistakable voice of Steve Buscemi, who is also credited as an executive producer for the film).
Enabled by its intricate animation and complex monologues that set the tone for its protagonist’s tumultuous worldview, “The Brown Dog” is a short with many shades to its narrative. Underneath grim frames and a color palette comprised of Earthly hues lies a tale of an individual setting off into the snowy and endless dark abyss. He is hellbent on uncovering his purpose before being drawn in—and possibly obsessed with—a beige house across the road from his cramped booth. He becomes fixated on its residents and has an absurd infatuation with the mystery of a missing Buddha statue the now abandoned structure once housed. This is combined with Nobody attempting to connect philosophical meanings to both the beige house and the singular brown dog (from which the movie takes its title) that once guarded it.
A Philosophical and Psychological Study
Aside from being a philosophical tale, “The Brown Dog” also appears to be a psychological study of the lone and desperate protagonist whose nerves have gotten the better of him. He lashes out in frustration over his own introverted demeanor that holds him back from exchanging even a friendly smile at a kind stranger on the bus who greets him through the window. Thus, he misses out on fulfilling an inner craving for company as he slogs it out, nights on end, working a thankless job in unforgiving weather conditions.
The film is also peppered with subtle nods to fellow reclusive outsiders from cinema, more specifically to Ricky Fitts from “American Beauty” and his similar obsession with a plastic bag that wafts in the wind, as aimless as the protagonist of ‘The Brown Dog’ himself.
Its Slow Burn May Alienate Some Viewers
Overall, “The Brown Dog” beseeches its audience to seek out their own meanings. It can also be divisive, given the prolonged, slow-burn nature of its execution. On one hand, it is a strange, ambitious, and engaging examination of the human psyche under unfeasible conditions and the power of compassion to warm a cold heart. However, on the contrary others may consider it as a turn-off due to its narrative fueled primarily by the protagonist’s cynical ramblings. Despite its heartwarming takeaways, some audiences might find “The Brown Dog” a tedium-inducing and depressive watch instead.
“The Brown Dog” will be playing at this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival from August 8th-18th. Follow The Movie Buff for more coverage of this year’s festival.
