The second story requires the audience to focus on several points. The first point is that Douglas's mother's taste in music is European music, while his father is a typical white man, and then his mother leaves home. The second point is Douglas's love for Shakespeare and his familiarity with all of Shakespeare's works. The third point is that the bad guys in the story, except for the Mexican mafia, are all white, and the police actors in the first half are all white men. When Douglas is arrested, the police station is all black, and the black people have an unusually gentle attitude towards Douglas: the black police officer gave Douglas a lighter, the doctor brought Douglas coffee, and the female police officer brought Douglas fried chicken, And this series of anomalies foreshadowed Douglas's special status among black people, and at the end, Douglas's sentence: I also love you very much. The female protagonist asked in response: Why. Douglas's response was: pain. It can also express his sympathy for the plight of black people. The fourth point is that the origin of the truck is New Jersey. And the last point is also the information directly provided in the screen. In the movie, the green road sign on the left side of the intersection of the police station has a name: "Lincoln", while at the same time, in the movie name, there is a phrase nailed to the cage with the brother's name: "In the name of god". The reversal of "god" and "name" is called "dog man", In the original text of the Bible, the phrase "God also said to Moses," "Say to the Israel, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you.'" implies the name of one of the Gods: "Abraham," so the protagonist's identity is about to emerge as "Abraham Lincoln.".
So the meaning that Luc Besson wanted to express was obvious. Lincoln, as the President of the United States during the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and his identity among the black community was self-evident, so the special care of black people for him was also explained. Lincoln also loved Shakespeare and read all of Shakespeare's works. The story takes place in New Jersey, which served as an alliance of the Union during the Civil War and provided artillery fire for the Union, A mother who loved European music represented early American colonizers from Europe, while her father and brother were typical white men who kept black slaves like dogs. Lincoln also felt sorry for these black companions and tried to protect them. Subsequently, with the help of black friends, he robbed the rich and helped the poor of the white people, leading them to independence. In the movie, Douglas's independent song "la foule" is a French song, which translates to "everyone", representing Lincoln's voice for everyone. The war with Mexican gangs foreshadowed the American Civil War, and at the end, the dogs ran through all the houses, indicating that black companions were scattered throughout the United States. So the meaning of lying down surrounded by dogs is self-evident.
So on the surface, the story is about a person's growth, while behind it lies the independent history of African Americans, and Douglas is the embodiment of Lincoln. So on the surface, it appears to be a commercial film, but upon closer inspection, it is discovered that it is a historical metaphor for American society. I cannot help but marvel at Luc Besson's genius idea, which is a true art film. Compared to the Joker, the Joker focuses more on personal emotional changes and development, while the Dog God is more like a magical realism novel, integrating the development of history into this story. Both are top-notch works, Worth watching and considering repeatedly.
