**SPOILER**
I just finished watching this. You're right that it was difficult to watch. The third act is more like a horror film, akin to the birds. Hagen escapes from the shelter as he is about to be put down by biting the throat of his animal control escort. An open gate allows for the other dogs to escape and Hagen leads them on a tour of the city taking revenge on everyone who harmed him previously in the film. The only people we don't see harmed or killed are the other dog catchers - including the one with messed up hair and frumpy clothes - even though one of them shoots his buddy (the dog that looked like Uggie from the Artist).
The final scene is back at the slaughterhouse where Hagen and his army face off with Lili and her father. Hagen acts extremely aggressive toward Lili and her dad comes out brandishing a flamethrower to fight him off. Just then, Lili takes her trumpet out of her backpack and plays the same song for Hagen that she did earlier in the bathroom. This calms him and the other dogs enough that they lie down before her, docile. Once she's finished playing, she lies down as well and her father does so next to her.
The final shot is an aerial view of all the dogs lying down and Lili and her father on the ground with them. It's a pretty amazing shot and even if you can't finish the film, I would recommend fast forwarding to this final shot just to see how it's framed and the work that went in to making it (training all the dogs to lie there like that must have been a trial).
In fact, maybe watch the whole last scene, but if you were already crying before, I can almost guarantee you will start doing so again when she hits the first note on that trumpet.
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Melissaslist
9 years ago
Thank you. I actually did go back and watch the second half. I'd say the absolute worst part for me was watching Hagen kill that other dog. That was just sick and not his fault.
So the rest of the movie was actually ok for me to watch and not nearly as painful. I've read a lot of comparisons to other movies like the birds...when the dogs are let loose. For me it actually reminded me a lot of the end of Animal House. They rise up against the man and just create chaos and mayhem. I actually found it pretty funny. And yes, the seen at the end when she plays the trumpet gives me chills.
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TMIGuy
8 years ago
If this isn't an homage to "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" or the Apes series themselves, then it's an example of parallel symmetry. Watch it to see if you agree. The points made are similar and it makes the ending as well as the name White God make more sense. In honesty, I've always thought the theme made more sense with dogs than apes. What ye sow, so shall ye reap.
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