The Dog It Was That Died (1989)

Film Overview
"The Dog It Was That Died" is a 1989 drama movie directed by Peter Wood and based on a satirical play written by distinguished playwright and scriptwriter, Tom Stoppard. The story is focused around Blair, a British secret representative, who discovers himself in a bewildering and elaborate scenario that gradually leads to an existential crisis. The film juggles aspects of dark humor, espionage, and mental turmoil, masterfully painting an interesting portrait of a male trapped in his own life.

Plot and Characters
The protagonist of the film, Blair, is a bureaucrat working for British intelligence. He is amusingly stuck in a comical and confusing state where he does not remember to whom his loyalty needs to stand-- the British Intelligence or his challengers, the Russians. Blair's life becomes a lot more puzzled when he is hit by a vehicle and gets up from unconsciousness to find himself in a Russian healthcare facility. Here, it becomes uncertain whether Blair was working for the Russians in a strategy to trick the British, or if it's the other method around.

Mental Turmoil
The movie gradually unveils a tale of a guy suffering from an identity crisis. Blair's profession requires him to constantly be somebody else, leading him to entirely lose his own identity. He is not even sure if he is really on his country's or the enemy's side. This existential unrest is illustrated excellently throughout the movie, turning Blair's terrible tale into an examination of the self-- an exploration of what it suggests to exist.

Dark Humor and Satire
The thematic underpinning of the film orbits around using satire to explore the chaotic world of spywork, espionage, and the Cold War politics of the time. Brilliantly pitting the British Intelligence against Soviet Intelligence, the film uses dark humor to highlight the absurdity often intrinsic within the sphere of bureaucracy. Blair's situation is laughably tragic and the audience is frequently captured in between accepting the humor or feeling sorry for his profound existential dread.

Final Act
As plot twists unwind, Blair finds himself in a significantly claustrophobic and grim situation that makes him concern life's worth. He finally tries to devote suicide, for this reason the title "The Dog It Was That Died", a nod to Oliver Goldsmith's poem criticizing suicide. Nevertheless, the story doesn't end at this dark turn. Rather, it humanely depicts the after-effects from the viewpoint of Blair's pet canine, brilliantly culminating the film in a touching and poignant conclusion.

Conclusion
"The Dog It Was That Died" is a highly layered unreasonable comic-drama filled with subtle allegories and sociopolitical commentaries. It is a captivating expedition of identity, commitment, and a sardonic review of Cold War politics. It highlights the large absurdity of governmental video games and existential fear. Blair's disarray of identity reveals Stoppard's commentary on society's influence on individual identity. As for the audiences, they are left intrigued and introspective, joining Blair in his consideration of what it suggests to exist and to truly know oneself.

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