Dog imagery is extensively present in the movie Mickey B in obvious and hidden forms. This
dog imagery represents primal emotion, violence and loyalty in the movies and is also a
reflection of the perception of, fictional and non-fictional, prisoners.
http://www.prisonmovies.net/mickey-b-2007-uk
-“where staff patrol the perimeter with vicious guard dogs, but are entirely absent within the
walls. The prisoners have the run of the joint,”
-“once Mickey B has bloodily assumed the top dog’s spot”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/jan/09/macbeth-northern-ireland-prison
-With Baskervillian barking… in the background
http://www.esc-film.com/newsmaghaberrygetsjusticeformacbeth.asp
-ambitious top-dog Mickey B and scheming 'bitch' Ladyboy
http://www.irr.org.uk/2010/september/ha000019.html
-How do we move beyond tabloid rhetoric which presents violent offenders as dogs, savages, or
the half-animal, half savage 'ferals of the street' of home secretary Teresa May's lurid
imagination? Drama allows us to ask, no matter what the crime the person has committed, isn't
he or she a human being? And to ask also of those in authority about the function of prison - to
restore humanity or brutalise the prisoner still further?
- and police dogs barking menacingly
http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/mcpress/shakespearequarterlyperformance/wray/#edn
1
-More generally, punctuated throughout are visual details of barbed wire, barking Alsatians,
locks and keys, security cameras and warders (bodies, in forbiddingly padded, bullet-proof
uniform, are filmed either from behind or from the waist down in arresting illustrations of
anonymity). Together, these constitute a diegetic meta-commentary on such concerns as
constriction, surveillance and physical conflict and point up filmic recastings of graphic
Shakespearean metaphor.
-Barking dogs are both diegetic additions (which exacerbate mood and propel theme) and
external sounds (which operate as actual constraining devices).
Celtic Dog:
The dog animal symbol also maintains a pure root meaning throughout time and culture. That
meaning is loyalty, of course. The dog was considered to be good luck in the village, and as
such, the symbol of the dog was commonly found in Celtic décor, clothing, etc. Further, a Celt
was rarely found hunting without a hound nearby. Dogs were necessities in life, and therefore
highly regarded. The dog is the emblem of faithfulness and guardianship. Dogs are considered
loyal and temperate and the dog is a symbol of a skilled hunter. They were also associated with
priests since priests were thought of as watchdogs against the devil. Dogs are symbols of
courage, vigilancy and loyal fidelity.
http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp/keyword.dog/qx/symbolism_details.htm Dogs have become another “normal” part of our everyday lives that we unfortunately take for
granted. However, in the ancient language of symbolism dogs are very important symbols of
duality. Their very nature is twofold: one part wild beast, and one part domesticated animal. By
the hand of man the dog was taken out of the wild natural kingdom and brought into civilized
society. The taming of nature is a very important aspect of the so called “great work” of secret
societies. The domestication of wild animals is representative of the power to mold and shape
nature according to the will
http://www.disinfo.com/2009/09/the-ancient-symbolism-of-the-dog/
, they have been symbols of loyalty, faithfulness and protection. They are also considered to be
great warriors and can be a symbol of an expert hunter. In the middle ages, dogs were associated
to the priesthood due to the priests’ vigilance in protecting people from the influence of the devil.
In many ancient cultures, the dog was associated to death. Dogs were believed to have the
capacity to look into the spirit realm, see ghosts, and warn their masters of invisible dangers. In
Greek mythology, Cerberus, the three h
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