This was tough to watch.

I agree. I heard about it on the radio and thought it sounded interesting. I made myself sit through it waiting for it to get good, but I didn't really enjoy any of it. It's hard for me to watch even the simulated cruelty and suffering of the dogs, and I got fed up with Lili as a protaganist quickly because of her stoicism and slowness to act. She never shows much emotion at all, even when she's crying near the end.

Also, the movie uses an unsatisfying mix of anthropomorphism (rendering the actions of the dogs simplistic) and complexity (the whole Lili side of things). The dogs' revenge on the humans who were cruel to Hagen is superficial. Some humans might think of it as just desserts, but it's violent and, again, who knows if dogs really do desire revenge the way some people do? I think most dogs would rather not tear anyone limb from limb, even if it fulfills a movie plot. Hagen doesn't seem to be happy once he's given his enemies their comeuppance; he's twisted and angry, a far cry from his orginal happy, loving self. And then at the end, it's all futile. Lili will lose Hagen again and know with certainty that he will be killed this time, and will probably never get to interact with him in a loving way, since he's been rendered so mean. All through the movie, we have to watch dogs get shot, mutilated, or otherwise destroyed, and since dogs don't write history books, it's all pretty pointless.

I get the "war is hell" allegory, substituting downtrodden humans for the dogs, but that's what I mean about the mixed methods of delivery in this movie. Either it's trying to be the Incredible Journey (heartwarming but hardly thought-provoking) or a European class-warfare art film. I understand its message, but I can't say I enjoyed any of it.

I just thought this the film was about a girl saving her dog, it was hard to watch at times as I fell in love with the dog as soon as I saw it.

Very tough. It's beautifully done, and I'd certainly consider it a work of art, but I won't recommend it to anyone. The callous souls who won't be depressed by it also won't get the allegory; and the sensitive, thoughtful folk who are most likely to understand it might well be rendered suicidal.

What we have here is an honest-to-God heartbreaking work of staggering genius -- that's all but unwatchable.

"We gotta get outta here." "I know, I can't stand this music!"