The Black Dog Review

The Black Dog is a 1987 British animated short film directed by Alison de Vere. It is an excellent artistic endeavor.

The story is about a woman who wakes up to find the titular black dog who then takes her on a long, interesting and difficult journey. I won’t describe the entire journey as the film is 18 minutes long, but the highlight for me is easily that tavern which provides the luxuries of drugs, sex and alcohol. That was a really atmospheric scene as is the entire film and it felt otherworldly in quality. I also loved what happened afterwards with the payment, really intriguing.

The film is obviously deep in meaning, it is about self-discovery and it is layered in symbolism and thematic riches that it is quite ambiguous and anyone can interpret it differently. My interpretation is that this is a dream world and her fantasies and the dog offers some sort of salvation which is evident from the moment he appeared as he looked saint-like. It is about the dangers of living a careless life. Not all segments here were as fascinating and the animation is not the greatest, but the atmosphere is palpable and it is such a weird, authentic and unforgettable short beautifully directed by Alison de Vere.

The Black Dog is deep, rich in symbols and themes and so incredibly atmospheric that I would definitely call it a work of art in its own way.