In the film Red Dog, Kirk Standers retells the story of the humorous Kelpies know to us as Red Dog. He shows to us how the lovable dog brought back together the dysfunctional community of Dumpier. Set in the remote and isolated area of the Pillar region of Western Australia. The people of Dumpier really need a companion with who they can share their personal feelings with and simply have someone to be able to talk with who will just listen.
Red dog helps rebuild the already critically broken community through his adventurous and gentle heart, as seen in his willingness to listen to the miner’s problems. You witness his Bravery when he risks his own life to save Jock’s life from the shark. You then see the loyalty that he possesses once he chooses his owner, John. It is only through their friendship with Red Dog that the people of Dumpier learn to love and trust one another again, seen when the entire community of Dumpier gathers outside the Cribbage’s house to run them out of town.
This shows how the town re-formed their meaningful relationships and their bond together to make them a community once again. Red dog’s daring and independent is appealing to the miners due to their varied backgrounds and their lack of social skills. At the beginning of the film the Hammerless Iron Mining community is little more than a group of lost and homesick men. Red Dog was an excellent listener, which allowed the miners to share their personal feelings and stories with him.
Red Dog soon became valued by the community for these particular listening skills and brought a lot of comfort to the lonely people of the Pillar Region. He soon was announced a loved member of the damper community. He shows us that there is more to this community than just a “ bunch of dirty old miners”. That beneath their tough and dusty exterior that they are a community, who are loyal to one another and protect each other. They then know the proper meaning of love and loss.
