In the wake of the critical response to Boyhood, it is easy to overlook the fact that documentary filmmakers have been dedicating decades to their projects, long before Richard Linklater’s narrative experiment. Making its mark in the festival circuit, and in limited theatrical release, The Dog, is one of these films. A character study of the man who would serves as the inspiration for Al Pacino’s role in A Dog Day Afternoon, The Dog is a funny, charming, touching, and sometimes maddening look at John Wojtowicz; a man desperate for attention and fame.
Directed by Allison Berg (Witches in Exile) and Frank Keraudren (The Last Cigarette), The Dog traces Wojtowicz’s life from his early days, through the robbery, and up until his death in 2006. What may come as a surprise to viewers, is that the robbery serves as one of the least interesting aspects of the film. Rather, the film functions in a somewhat two-fold purpose; its main purpose is to try and break through and understand who Wojtowicz is. However, in revealing the events that lead up to the robbery, the filmmakers discover and document Wojtowicz’s involvement in the 60s New York gay liberation movement. Utilizing an impressive amount of archival footage and interviews with key members of the movement, much of the first half of The Dog serves to paint a vivid, intimate picture of one of the most important movements in history. While using Wojtowicz as the prime focus, the filmmakers develop his character in relation to the burgeoning scene.
However, in trying to get to the core of Wojtowicz’s charcter, the filmmakers have failed. It is clear, through the opinions of those closest to him, that Wojtowicz, through a series of manipulations and lies, has fashioned a personality for himself. The filmmakers barely break through this surface. Failing to challenge Wojtowicz, the film becomes a journey through his tales; and, while he is an invigorating and charming person who takes control of every scene he is in, you leave with the sense that you never really got to know the real “John.” Perhaps the fame—or rather infamy—has inflated his personality to a point that, by the time the filmmakers entered into Wojtowicz’s life, there was no longer a distinction between his stories and his reality. But, in letting Wojtowicz direct the interviews (in various scenes you even see him say cut to which the filmmakers comply shortly after), neither Berg nor Keraudren seem too interested in challenging Wojtowicz.
That is not to say that there aren’t brief moments where remnants of what may be John’s inner character shine. In particular, the filmmakers were brilliant to include a few scenes chronicling John’s relationship with his mentally challenged brother. Having been taken away from the family at a young age and forced to live in a special institution his entire life, John’s brother is granted brief discharges to spend time with his family. In experiencing these reunions, the filmmakers capture John at his most intimate. John’s façade is not completely destroyed, but it appears that during these moments John is able to forget his is on camera, forget that he is acting. While they are mere flashes compared to the barrage of conflicting content, these scenes shine the brightest.
In addition to these fleeting moments, the film is at its strongest when it features John’s mother, Terry. Almost as honest and loud as John herself, Terry is a marvel. She fills the screen with personality; and, unlike with John, the filmmakers are able to penetrate a level of reality in Terry that serves to ground the film. In a sense, we learn more about John through Terry than we could ever through “The Dog” himself. While not without its faults, The Dog is a moving and entertaining portrait of a fascinating, if flawed, man. It’ll break through to all of your emotions: joy, anger, and grief.
