It has been estimated that from ten to one hundred million animals are used annually for research purposes. In the U.S., any procedure can be performed on an animal if it can be successfully argued that it is scientifically justified. Whether medical and scientific discoveries of benefit to mankind outweigh animal cruelty and likely death is a debate that has been going on since testing and experimentation on living animals began in Greece in the fourth century BC and shows no signs of abating. This subject is the theme of Martin Rosen's animated film The Plague Dogs.
Based on the novel by Richard Adams who also wrote "Watership Down," The Plague Dogs is a disturbing movie that pulls no punches and is heartbreakingly real in its depiction of the sad effects of animal experimentation. Whether or not children should see it is a decision that has to be made by each parent. Walt Disney, it is not. In the film, a black Labrador named Rowf (John Hurt) and a fox terrier Snitter (Christopher Benjamin), subjected to endless tests of endurance as well as undefined brain surgery, make a daring escape from an animal research facility in Coniston, but find the outside world less welcoming than they remember.
With no specific destination in mind, the two wander through the English Lake District hoping to find a master that will take care of them (Snitter is racked with guilt, thinking he caused the death of his previous master in an accident). In this bleak environment depicted in dark colors, their search for food and shelter is aided only by a sly, opportunistic fox (The Tod) who teaches the dogs the ways of the wild, mostly for his own benefit. As more and more sheep are reported killed, the research center spreads the rumor that the dogs may be carriers of the Bubonic Plague and the farmers are now assisted by the Army to hunt them down. Snitter does not help their cause by being involved in a freak shooting accident that kills a passerby.
Though the mood of The Plague Dogs is somber and the film is marred by heavy British accents that are barely audible, the film is strengthened by the loving relationship of the two dogs and we root for them to survive even though we know the odds are against them. While the dogs are puzzled by the actions of the "whitecoats," they do not succumb to thoughts of revenge. Trying not to think the worst of their whitecoat tormentors, Rowf asks "There must be some reason, mustn't there? It must do some sort of good," but the good is hard to find as the dogs must confront insurmountable obstacles to find a way to survive. Like many of us who are trying to keep our heads above water, their island is so close but so far away.
Based on the novel by Richard Adams who also wrote "Watership Down," The Plague Dogs is a disturbing movie that pulls no punches and is heartbreakingly real in its depiction of the sad effects of animal experimentation. Whether or not children should see it is a decision that has to be made by each parent. Walt Disney, it is not. In the film, a black Labrador named Rowf (John Hurt) and a fox terrier Snitter (Christopher Benjamin), subjected to endless tests of endurance as well as undefined brain surgery, make a daring escape from an animal research facility in Coniston, but find the outside world less welcoming than they remember.
With no specific destination in mind, the two wander through the English Lake District hoping to find a master that will take care of them (Snitter is racked with guilt, thinking he caused the death of his previous master in an accident). In this bleak environment depicted in dark colors, their search for food and shelter is aided only by a sly, opportunistic fox (The Tod) who teaches the dogs the ways of the wild, mostly for his own benefit. As more and more sheep are reported killed, the research center spreads the rumor that the dogs may be carriers of the Bubonic Plague and the farmers are now assisted by the Army to hunt them down. Snitter does not help their cause by being involved in a freak shooting accident that kills a passerby.
Though the mood of The Plague Dogs is somber and the film is marred by heavy British accents that are barely audible, the film is strengthened by the loving relationship of the two dogs and we root for them to survive even though we know the odds are against them. While the dogs are puzzled by the actions of the "whitecoats," they do not succumb to thoughts of revenge. Trying not to think the worst of their whitecoat tormentors, Rowf asks "There must be some reason, mustn't there? It must do some sort of good," but the good is hard to find as the dogs must confront insurmountable obstacles to find a way to survive. Like many of us who are trying to keep our heads above water, their island is so close but so far away.