MovieChat Forums > Tsotsi (2006) Discussion > Infamous Dog Scene - When Does it Occur/...

Infamous Dog Scene - When Does it Occur/What Chapter?

posted 17 years ago by northface778
32 replies | jump to latest

I've rented Tsotsi for the second time tonight. The first time I backed out of watching it because of the things I'd read about "the dog scene". However, I have been aching to see this film ever since I started seeing the previews two years ago now. I want to watch it, and will watch it regardless, but to make it a bit easier...

If there is someone who either a) knows the film well, or b) has a copy of the DVD (and therefore, I guess, knows the film well), will you PLEASE post either the time in the film, or the chapter of the DVD, or even the scene leading up to the dog scene?

I still plan to watch the scene, I just want to be prepared for it. I can stand a lot of sh@t, but animal abuse in films just pushes me over my emotional edge. I cried in Godzilla, so someone please spare me this.

[–] ezbeinggreen 17 years ago

Just watched movie. Happened between 44th and 45th minute.
I totally agree, I can't take animal abuse even if it's fake. But this is not real bad. You hear a dog yelp off camera and then you see a rottie crawling. No blood, and no cgi. My rottie mix does this same trick every day.
Amores perros is another story entirely...

[–] northface778 17 years ago

Many, many thanks. The information is greatly appreciated!

[–] naynay824 17 years ago

I finished watching this movie about 2 hours ago. In preparation for the dog scene that I new was coming, I watched through squinted eyes. They did not show Tsotsi's father hurt the dog; just the yelp of the dog then you see the dog crawling through the door. I don't like animal cruelty either....I wouldn't care to watch this scene again.

[–] killer_u_legend 17 years ago

This was the only part of the movie i saw, cause i had to goto work.
But what i saw was really sad. Not violent at all because it was off camera. But seeing that poor dog crawling around yelping was one of the saddest things ive seen in a long time. I love dogs XD

Definately going to rent this movie though!

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] junay01 17 years ago

Well I was both extremely bothered by the dog scene AND the abby scene with the ants....they were both pretty disturbing for me to watch...I love dogs, and babies and just children in general, I can't bear watch getting hurt on camera or in person...Now when its adults getting kiled or something, is just completely different for some reason...u know that a baby and some dogs, well mostly are harmless and so is awful to hurt a creature that won't fight back or is full of innocense and only brings happiness to another human being...now for watching an adult get killed or tortured, i guess we are soothed by the possibilty that the person has done something in their past to deserve it...lol...or something like that.

How in the hell does "Crash" win Best Picture and "Do The Right Thing" didnt even get nominated?

[–] JamieBno1 17 years ago

So again...You don't mind seeing human's getting shot/hurt/maimed but it is unacceptable to see an dog yelping off-screen and the assumption that he has been kicked...

[–] jimrip2004 17 years ago

I think it has everything to do with babies in general. So many millions are killed every year that who the heck cares if another one gets covered in ants.

[–] gunstar_hero 17 years ago

I find it remarkable that for all your professed ethics with regard to animals you are apparently unperturbed by the image of a innocent pregnant woman being shot and paralysed.

Anyone who got that caught up with a two-second scene showing a dog which is evidently not paralysed in any way (it is obviously moving its legs) was not really focusing on the movie.

Again, the baby with ant scenes may have been somewhat upsetting, but it is sad that people have become so inured to the portrayal of death that it no longer provokes a comparable reaction.

I found the bar-brawl near to the beginning of the film far more shocking than either of these events.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] shenda4 16 years ago

I must agree. This film was filled with heartbreaking scenes; abject poverty; a young woman struggling to raise her baby alone after the death of her husband; orphans fending for themselves just to name a few. You don't mind that but a dog getting kicked a couple of times off screen is more than you can bare? Geesh........There was a lot of suffering portrayed in this film and the dog is the only one who tugs at your hearts? *shakes head in disgust*

[–] Juststand 16 years ago

Yes, I found the baby covered in ants under the bed pretty horrible too! For some reason holly-wierd suggests we are to be more upset when animals are harmed. It get's out of balance really quick. Though I found the dog scene disturbing too, though not more than the child.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rhondalundquist 16 years ago

I watched the movie last week and completely agree with anyone who was upset by the dog scene. Family pets depend on and must trust their care-givers to keep them safe. If you have a pet, you are responsible for that animal's well-being. To have something (or a nothing) inside you that allows you to break an animal's back is upsetting for others to witness. You don't need blood and guts spilled all over the scene to understand the dog's suffering and the fact that it is going to die, and through the actions of a person that was supposed to be responsible for its' welfare. And what it did to a child who loved the dog.

The baby with ants scene is also upsetting, because you know that Tsotsi doesn't know how to care for the child, and it makes you scared that the baby is going to die through his lack of knowledge. At this point in the film, you also don't know how he's going to react to the sudden addition of work that a baby demands.

Due to the masterful writing, the mother who was shot and crippled made you feel she would be fine; she was a strong woman who had the guts to ignore her own problems and the station in life to demand from her husband and the police that her child be found.

I thought Presley Chweneyagae's portrayal of Tsotsi was amazing, and the direction of Gavin Hood brilliant.

"I stand corrected, Wyatt. You're an oak."

[–] sgt3 16 years ago

Actually, I thought it was difficult to watch. The pain it implies when the dog is crawling is heart wrenching if you love dogs. I probably would have been better off emotionally if he had just shot the dog and it died immediately.

[–] Muggle72 16 years ago

Yeah, seeing/hearing animals being hurt in any way is devastating to me. Yeah, I value human life (esp. children) but animals pull more at my heartstrings. AND NO I"M NOT COLDHEARTED!!! I hate when people get all defensive when people comment about animal abuse/death/neglect in a film. It pisses me off b/c they're implying that we don't CARE about human life.
I agree that Amores Perros was another story entirely! That movie pissed me off w/all his animal cruelty....and I can't remember if the dog fight scenes were real or not....I read it somewhere but I don't remember how real it was.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves!"

[–] jamiemcgrory 16 years ago

The way they kill the innocent, unarmed, helpless and seemingly happy part of society that was the old man on the train is essentially the human equivilant of the dog scene. for example:
- He couldn't stop it happening
- He did nothing wrong to bring on his suffering
- He could do nothing after it happens

These facts combined with that he was human and the scene was shown much more graphically, should surely mean that people are acting strangely by showing more concern over the paralysis of a dog, to the murder of a man.
I think people have some backwards priorities.

If Little Red Riding Hood shows up with a bazooka an a bad attitude I expect you to chin the bitch

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Clown-Schindlers-Fist 16 years ago

Fisted clowns is what its cumming to.

[–] gunstar_hero 16 years ago

I can't help but feel that this thread demonstrates how skewed modern morals are. I accept abuse upon generally helpless, obedient and essentially voiceless animals is cruel, but it is not as cruel as paralyzing the mother of a young child. Everyone who can't see this has probably been blinded by their own cosy Western self-righteousness to such an extent that they don't really understand what suffering is anymore. No doubt many of you would sooner donate money to saving the dolphins than saving Darfur.

[–] NoelLiebtSie 16 years ago

Honestly I prefer animals over LOADS of humans out there

Considering that the vast majority of people in the world could not care less about cruelty to animals, I appreciate the few people who genuinely do (And no, crying over a poor hurt animal, then biting into a slab of dead pig, is not consistant with a genuine animal-lover )

Also, I think you're forgetting that any cruelty to PEOPLE in a film is most assuredly not really happening (unless it's a doc.), with animals you never know, since as I said most people really could not care less.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] oliviag 16 years ago

Actually, yes - i would rather give money to an animal charity - and what is wrong with that? We all have different priorities in life, and for every one animal charity i donate to, there will be someone donating to a 'human' charity...if everyone shared your same beliefs that animals don't deserve the support that charities like the red cross etc do, or are not as important as people are, the animal cruelty situation world wide would be a lot worse than it is today. I certainly don't think it is anybody's place to judge, and say mine and many others' morals are 'skewed' simply because we believe animals - like humans - do not deserve to be harmed and mistreated.

[–] boneyx 16 years ago

holy *beep* me. what a bunch of *beep* PUSSIES. wtf is wrong with u people??? there are people dying in this movie as well and u care more about a dog crawling?? u value a dog more than a human?? more humans get abused than dogs everyday.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bttrwr6 16 years ago

You see an old man get stabbed to death, someone beaten half to death and a woman shot infront of her baby, non of that disturbes you but a dog being kicked off screen does? Im against animal cruelty myself, but your reasoning makes no sense what so ever

[–] leroyferg-1 15 years ago

I watched Tsotsi last night and had a horrible nightmare: alligators were slithering down the right gutter of a street and I was hysterically urging my wife to keep close to the left side. Clearly, Tsotsi's gang had infected my brain with a dread of deadly predators.

The image from the film that sticks hardest in my mind is not the offstage beating of the dog, but the hyper-realistic killing of a passenger in the subway train. The predators surround this friendly-looking man and snuff out his life silently and heartlessly. Oh, the empathy and sadness I felt for that character!

[–] CaptainClawdy 15 years ago

I just watched the film and din't know that the 'dog scene' was infamous. I mean come on, it yelped, and then crawled, it isn't even disturbing compared to the scenes with humans being hurt/killed. Hell, the most disturbing part for me was when Tsotsi confronted the man in the wheelchair, when that man was shouting '**** you' and then he got the gun out and began to cry and whimper as if to say 'this is how i'm going to die'. I could imagine one to be disturbed by the dog scene if we saw the dog's back break or if it had it's head stamped on or something, but for some people to say that they watched the scene through their hands when they seem fine with the other scenes of death and suffering, well, i just don't understand it.

We can't stop here, this is bat country!

[–] CoCaTropper 15 years ago

"The way they kill the innocent, unarmed, helpless and seemingly happy part of society that was the old man on the train is essentially the human equivilant of the dog scene. for example:
- He couldn't stop it happening
- He did nothing wrong to bring on his suffering
- He could do nothing after it happens

These facts combined with that he was human and the scene was shown much more graphically, should surely mean that people are acting strangely by showing more concern over the paralysis of a dog, to the murder of a man.
I think people have some backwards priorities. "

Old Men aren't cute...well some are.

It's basically what it boils down too, whether poeple will admit it or not, Babies are cute, dogs are cute, cats, bunnies ect. I forgot the actual tern for this, but the proportions and such of a man animals faces are very similar to a babies, Penn and Teller did a show on cat lovers and explained it but putting it simply they're cute and innocent looking.

[–] GrimeyRickGrimes 15 years ago

I love my dog, but if it comes to saving his life or the life of a human I AM SAVING THE HUMAN!!!!!! WTF is wrong with you people? Why not just start worshipping animals. Weirdos

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]