Sam Elliott (L); Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst inThe Power of the Dog.Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images; Netflix

Sam Elliottis not a fan of how the American West was portrayed inThe Power of the Dog.
On the most recent episode of theWTF with Marc Maronpodcast, posted Monday, the 77-year-old1883actor talked about what he claims aLos Angeles Timesad called an “evisceration of the American West” in theJane Campion-written and directed film.
Likening the look of the “cowboys” in the film to Chippendales dancers, Elliott (who has appeared in many Western-set films and television series) said, “They’re all running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the f—ing movie.”
“Yeah, I thinkthat’s what the movie’s about,” replied host Marc Maron.
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The Power of the Dog(2022).Kirsty Griffin/Netflix

“And why in the f— does she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say, ‘This is the way it was’? " added theOscarnominee.
Elliott said the filming location “rubbed [him] the wrong way,” along with what he calls the “myth” of “these machomen out there with the cattle.”
“I just come from f—ing Texas where I was hanging out with families — not men, but families. Big, long, extended, multiple-generation families,” he said.
RELATED VIDEO: Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Helping a Family From a Herd of Cattle on Set ofThe Power of the Dog
Despite any criticism,The Power of the Doghas been a favorite over the current awards season, leadingthe Oscarshopefuls listwith 12 nominations.
In a recent virtual chat withViggo Mortensen, Smit-McPhee, 25, praised Campion for her unconventional approach to some aspects of making the film, telling a story about how she pushed him and his castmates to participate in an improvisational activity during one off-set dinner.
“So uncomfortable, but so great in hindsight,” he said. “In those little moments of discomfort and getting poked and prodded, [I’m] just in debt to her andabsolutely in love with what she did.”
The Power of the Dogis streaming on Netflix.
source: people.com