When watching a movie in which animal actors take part, the ordinary viewer does not know how much labor the members spend film crew to a dog, cat or even a bird successfully fit into the frame. The most talented film artists, as a rule, dogs are considered – they are obedient, quickly find a common language with professional actors can embody almost any director’s idea. No wonder so many films were made about these man’s four-legged friends – light comedies and heavy dramas, action-packed detectives and chilling horrors. What is amazing you meet a mediocre game of human actors very often, and here movies with stupidly played dogs are hard to remember. Almost all tapes where the main (and even minor) role, genuinely cling to the soul.
How to make films about dogs?
It is clear that if for the dog in the film the main role ( for example, in the films “To me, Mukhtar”, “K-9: Dog Work”, “Beethoven” and others), then a trained individual, with a strong nervous system, exterior, at least partially coinciding with conceived according to the script. However, even for episodes, dogs are used, prepared for the shoot. Most often they are invited to the shooting site after contacting a company specializing in filming animals in the movie (along with the owner and trainer). Other option – assignment selection and training for specific tasks to the trainer. That is, a professional familiar with the script to the film and the wishes of the director, independently decides which the animal will cope with the task in the best way. Another option is an instruction to train a particular trainer an animal selected by the director (actor assistant, other member of the crew). 
It happens that the dog does not have the necessary certain picture data. For example, often in the plot of a movie wolves are required. In these cases, use makeup – special paint for wool and various improvised means (ashes, soot, chalk and other). If the film contains scenes of the wolf’s fight, then in they use props and even tomato sauce as blood. Also change the appearance of tailed ones with haircuts – from fluffy dogs make smooth coat. If necessary, the animal may age, dyeing the hair on the face white, dusting it chalk, flour. If the scenario requires a young individual, but in stock only an elderly dog actor, the wool gives a rich and vibrant shades, achieving brilliance. Every dog starring in films there is an on-site doubler (similar in exterior). He is attracted to in cases where the main actor, for example, gets sick, too tired or refuses for some reason to complete a task (overcome barriers, “attack” people, jump into water, etc.). The backup dog is kept on site for an emergency. But often in films for one role, they take off in turn from 2 to 15-20 dogs, like in the films “The Return of Mukhtar”, “Night Watch”, “Hachiko: The Most faithful friend. “Although through the efforts of professionals, the viewer sees one and the same beast.
The best films about dogs
- “White Bim Black Ear” – 2-episode movie novel Director S. Rostotsky, published in 1977. Filmed a movie was based on the playwright G. Troepolsky, State Prize laureate USSR. Starring star V. Tikhonov and dog-actor English a setter nicknamed Stepka (sometimes Stepka was replaced by a similar one understudy – Dandy).
The picture was nominated for the Academy Award, was awarded the Lenin Prize, the prize of the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary. The plot of the picture takes place around the Scottish Seth Bima (filming involved English setters) with unacceptable for the breed color – white with red specks and black by ear. Despite the “wrong” color, the dog found its owner – the lonely and middle-aged hunter Ivan Ivanovich, who in the past was a journalist. At first, friendship between dog and man is nothing threatened, but misfortune happened – Ivan Ivanovich seized heart (affected by an old military fragmentation wound). Its urgent taken to the hospital, and Bim was left completely alone. Further a lot of misfortunes awaited the dog – slander, wandering, waiting for a meeting with the owner, beatings, train wheels, betrayals. Dog trusted on the care of a neighbor of Ivan Ivanovich, every now and then went to look for a trace owner, nailed to strangers. On his way met as good people and scoundrels (in the book, as in the film, images of people and unhappy dogs are shown very brightly, to tears). The finale of the picture very difficult – Bim never met the cured owner. ABOUT what is this picture about? Probably about love and fidelity, and also about human kindness and despicable betrayal. - “Chestnut” – this film directed by R. Balayan was shot in 1975 based on the work of the great A.P. Chekhov (by the way, many people know the story of the dog Kashtanki thanks to the Soviet 1952 cartoon). Actors L. Durov, O. starred in this film. Tabakov and a simple purebred dog (Chekhov wrote about the dog as about impurities of a dachshund with a mongrel). The plot of the picture tells about a small a dog named Kashtanka, who lived with a rough and awkward the carpenter who shocked her. One day an animal lost, and was picked up by a circus artist. Dog got a new name (Aunt), new home and new friends (circus animals). New the owner was affectionate with Aunt, did not skimp on praise, treats, decided to speak with her. But shining in the arena, Kashtanka-Aunt once saw the previous owner and could not help returning to him. Not looking at his severe temper, the animal returned to the one in whose the house had once grown, whose voice and hands were dearer. This story reminds viewers of the loyalty of dogs who are willing to forgive master’s indifference and cruelty. Dogs can’t look for benefits they trust their master to the end.
- “Faithful Ruslan” – otherwise the picture is called “History guard dog “. The film was shot on the tale of a Ukrainian writer G. Vladimov directed by V. Khmelnitsky in 1992. Starred in the film male German shepherd named Baikal. The plot of the picture is built on the life stories of the dedicated dog Ruslan – the guard German shepherd guarding the prison camp. Trained service Homeland, Ruslan becomes immediately unnecessary when he comes order to disband the camp. The owner of the dog (the one who trained a dog, was by her side daily) cowardly refuses a true friend, preferring to forget about the existence Ruslana. The hero of the film, along with others as restless service dogs are left to their own devices – Now there is no one to accompany, guard. Ruslan seeks food and shelter with residents of a village located near its former places of service. Every day the dog goes to the station to meet the next train with prisoners, but never waited for him. BUT once a dog dies at the hands of indifferent, cruel people, a devotee, in fact, and their country, and the owner. People taught him to teach protection, the exact execution of commands, and then simply struck out of life.
- “White Captive” is a drama filmed in the USA by director F. Marshall in 2005. Starring Paul Walker and acting dogs (malamutes and huskies). The painting was based on history about the life of sled dogs in the harsh conditions of the Antarctic. By the will of fate animals stayed live off the coast of the cold North Arctic Ocean. Employees of the polar science station to which dogs were attached, were evacuated, and animals remained survive in the silent cold captivity of eternal ice and snow. AT unlike the previous two films, in the film “White Captive” no human meanness, dogs were left unattended by chance (due to the outbreak of bad weather they could not be transported to Great land). Animals fought for life for almost six months, survived from 8 dogs, only 6 (the viewer can see scenes of their struggle with hunger, frost and suspense).
- “Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend” – a famous film Anglo-American descent, directed by L. Hallstrom in 2009. Along with Richard Gere to the audience the dog of the Akita Inu breed was also remembered (2 dogs played in this role Japanese breed Akita Inu and 2 – Shiba Inu). Touching story, which served as the basis for making the film, actually happened. Akita Inu dog owned by a Tokyo professor lived in Japan in the early 1920s. By tradition, the dog met his human friend every day after work, but one day he never waited – its owner suddenly died of a heart attack. More than 9 years the faithful pet was waiting for the owner at the railway station – where once joyfully met him from work. When Hachiko died, in the country was declared a day of mourning in connection with the death of a devotee a dog that carried love for the owner contrary to time.
- “Commissioner Rex” is a series of Austrian production about German police shepherd, very popular in Russia at the beginning 2000s. In this picture, the Russian audience remembered the actors T. Moretti and G. Burkhard. And Rex at different times played 5 dogs. Most Rhett Butler is considered to be famous Rex, although his others colleagues in the shop no less distinguished themselves by playing in the movie. Story Rex is both simple and touching. Dog is losing cop owner, but forced to get used to the new owner to further combat Vienna crime. Friendship gradually between a man and a dog getting better, Rex stops feeling sad. But the second owner also dies from a criminal bullet, which plunges the animal is discouraged. In the future, Rex changes a few more owners, in each of which he finds good features. TV series interesting in that there is a place in it for drama, and humor, and urgency.
- “Kujo” – this picture appeared in 1983 through the efforts of directed by L. Tig based on the novel by S. King. Usually movies about dogs filmed in the genre of drama or comedy, but there are exceptions. Kujo – good-natured saint bernard living in a wealthy and fairly carefree family. Once a dog is infected with rabies a bat that turns a pet into a real the monster. The dog kills the neighbors of its owners – deals with them like a real monster. Does not spare Kujo and owners, holding them “on sight”. An interesting game of a dog at that time, when it was not yet spectacular special effects – the animal in the frame seems to be really ready tear to pieces each and every one.
- “Lassie” is a series of American films and TV shows about a collie dog. From the mid-1940s to the 1990s, viewers saw pictures of a faithful dog trying to help to the owners. Since covering the plot of films about Lassie is very not easy, we can say that friendship is the basis of these paintings between people and pets, mutual assistance and sincerity. Interesting, that the role of the dog Lassie was played by 10 dogs at once, but they were all males (and Lassie is a bitch in the script).
- “Snow Dogs” is an American film directed by B. Levant, filmed in 2002 with C. Gooding Jr. in the lead role. Maybe, this picture can somehow remind the picture “White captivity”, but in it there is no such mental anguish – as a result, everyone finds themselves intact and safety. The story tells of a dentist who went for an inheritance in Alaska. In addition to property, a man gets friends – 8 dogs (Malamutes and Husky), with whom and can not cope, but can not leave. As a result, the main the hero remains in the snowy edge of the peninsula, realizing that it is there he will be happy.
You can list movies with dogs for a very long time – somewhere four-footed played a major role, somewhere excelled only in episode. One thing is for sure: if a game of human actors can annoying, you can not believe her, then the dogs play absolutely sincerely. Animals are laid out in the frame completely, adjusting under the characters of their movie colleagues. Dog movies don’t leave indifferent to anyone – neither a child nor an adult.
