CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG - DVD review

They say in movies, you should never work with animals or children. Thankfully, "Cave of the Yellow Dog" doesn't follow that rule. Thus, we are awarded with a heartwarming tale of a girl and her dog. At the same time, the film provides us with an in-depth look at a way of life that many are not familiar with.

"Cave of the Yellow Dog" comes to us from Byambasuren Davaa, a filmmaker transplanted from Mongolia to Germany, where she studied film and currently works. Davaa gained notice for her first feature-film, the documentary "The Story of the Weeping Camel" which was influenced by Robert Flaherty's "Nanook of the North" and followed the lives of people living in the rural fields of Mongolia. "Weeping Camel" was nominated for an Oscar, an impressive achievement made more so by the fact that it was done as part of her graduate thesis. I've seen plenty of student films that aren't even close to watchable, let alone, award-worthy.

With "Yellow Dog", Davaa returns to the same subject matter of "Weeping Camel" by following the everyday lives of a family living in the countryside of Mongolia far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The family live in a large tent called a yurt, roughly the equivalent of a mobile home. They tend to their sheep and when it's time to move on to new grazing land, they pack up their belongings and move on.

One day, the eldest daughter Nansal (Nansal Batchuluun) is sent out to collect dung. While performing her task, she comes across a little dog all alone inside a cave. Naturally, Nansal takes the dog home with her and names him Zochor. The mother doesn't seem to mind, but Nansal's father is none too pleased. Fearing the dog may have been raised by wolves and could be dangerous, he tells Nansal to get rid of him. In the end, Zochor proves that he can follow in the paw prints of Lassie or Benji when he comes to the rescue of the family's missing son.

The main storyline is simply a thin thread. The main meat of the film comes from the pseudo-documentary feel that allows the audience to observe the lives of this family. These aren't actors, but real people that were discovered by the director. No script, other than a general guideline, was written. These people really live like this and Davaa allows the camera to linger to capture it all. At one point, young Nansal is sent off to watch the sheep. It's quite a site to watch this diminutive girl riding across the vast plains on a horse that's ten times bigger than she is. Even the dog isn't an actor. He isn't a trained animal, just a stray mutt they found.

Concurrently, "Yellow Dog" deals with the encroaching influence of modern city life. The city never makes an appearance in the film, but its influence can be seen in many scenes. One child remarks in amazement to her mother about how people in the city "pee inside." Another scene finds the father returning home with gifts for the family, such as a plastic ladle and a battery-operated toy dog. When the ladle melts in the cooking pot, Nansal turns it into a bowl for Zochor. Davaa never argues against the urbanization of this nomadic way of life nor does she ever call for it to be preserved. She just presents it for what it is.

Due to the minimalist style of filmmaking, "Cave of the Yellow Dog" really feels genuine. Nothing feels phony. When the kids play, they really are playing and it comes off on the screen. Sure, the ending comes right out of an old live-action Disney film, but it's not a drawback at all.

"Yellow Dog" is a great family film, in the sense that the whole family can gather around the television to watch and discuss. However, I'm not sure if the little ones have the attention span for a film like this. Even with an English dubbed track, the kids would undoubtedly be disappointed that the dog isn't singing and dancing with the voice of a famous celebrity. That's a shame as "Yellow Dog" is a breath of fresh air from the glut of soulless, unremarkable CGI cartoons. Now, just because the children might not enjoy this one, doesn't mean the grown-ups should skip it.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer looks great and truly does justice to the beautiful scenery of Mongolia. The film is like an issue of National Geographic, the way it captures the impressive and untouched landscape.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in the original Mongolian language in three tracks, Dolby Digital 5.1, 2.0 Stereo, and 6.1 DTS EX. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are also available. This is a dialogue-heavy film and the sound comes off crisp and clear. The English dubbed track is only available in 5.1 DTS, so those without surround sound will have to watch it with subtitles.

EXTRAS:
The DVD includes an interview with director Byambasuren Davaa that runs just under fifteen minutes. Davaa, who speaks German, discusses shooting the picture and working with non-professional actors.

The only other extra is the film's theatrical trailer.

FILM VALUE:
I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for the cute factor. You'd have to be a pretty cold person to not have your heart strings tugged by this precocious little girl and her adorable puppy dog. I can easily recommend "Cave of the Yellow Dog" as a film you should see.