Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight details author Alexandra Fuller’s childhood in Africa during the Rhodesian Bush War. The story includes brutal murders, foul language, racial tensions, a toddler drowning, alcoholism, a suicide attempt, non-Christian spiritual beliefs and the sexual assault of a teenager.
The Rhodesian Bush War was a time of great turmoil for the country of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia (now just Zimbabwe). On one side of the years-long conflict was the white minority-led government of Ian Smith and Bishop Abel Muzorewa. Opposing them was the military wing of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union (among other factions). And in 1980, the country faced an important vote.
If Bishop Muzorewa won, the British Commonwealth would maintain control of the African country’s government and its land. If Mugabe won, the country would become a fully independent nation, and the land would be given back to its native people.
Alexandra “Bobo” Fuller knows all about it. Her family is among the white colonists there, living on a farm that her mother claims they own. But though she’s just a child, Bobo also knows that Zimbabwe-Rhodesia isn’t exactly safe.
For instance, Bobo’s parents instruct her not to disturb them when they’re sleeping at night. They sleep with guns in their bed, and they might accidentally shoot Bobo, mistaking her for a terrorist. Bobo’s family also can’t drive into the city without a military escort, since there might be ambushes waiting on the roadside.
However, despite these threats, Bobo isn’t too concerned. She’s largely been protected from the harsh realities of war. She’s never had to go without food or shelter. Nobody has ever pointed a weapon at her. That’s given Bobo a sort of false sense of confidence. And it’s clear that she really doesn’t understand just how dire the situation is.
But as the country gets closer to the vote, Bobo starts to sense an attitude shift among the adults. Her dad becomes more cautious. Her mom becomes more stubborn. And Sarah, a woman who lives in the nearby village, becomes more concerned about Bobo’s wellbeing.
Bobo starts to realize that maybe there are things happening that she doesn’t understand. And maybe she’s not quite as invulnerable as she believes.
Sarah is kind to Bobo, despite having different political views than the Fullers. She tries to educate the young girl about the ongoing political and racial conflict in Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, emphasizing that it’s not right for one race of people to rule over another. In the end, Bobo seems to understand this principle, making peace with the fact that her family’s land will be sold back to the African people.
From Bobo’s understanding, after a white baby dies, you go to church, say the “Our Father” prayer and bury the baby so it will go to heaven. Then, she says, “the grownups get drunk, and it’s over, and you’re not supposed to make a fuss.” However, when an African baby dies, you’re supposed to leave presents for the infant’s ancestors so their spirits will look after it and so that it won’t “be confused and become a ‘coming-back baby.’” Bobo fears that her own sister, who died prematurely, might become a “coming-back baby,” i.e., a reincarnation of a deceased ancestor.
Sarah tells Bobo that Africans “have eyes to see what whites cannot see,” indicating that she can somehow discern when Bobo misbehaves even if she’s not present. Sarah appears to practice the Shona religion, which encompasses a blend of monotheistic beliefs and ancestor veneration. Throughout the film, Sarah explains these beliefs to Bobo, the foremost of which is that her ancestors are magical and can grant wishes. Sarah says that she doesn’t believe in the Garden of Eden or Adam and Eve. She tells Bobo that some men have tattoos because they lost their souls in the war. We see some dances and chants performed in religious ceremonies.
Sarah and another character are appalled when they learn Bobo took pieces of broken pottery from a gravesite, clearly seeing it as disrespectful to their ancestors. Bobo asks Sarah to tell her some religious stories, but she upsets Sarah by laughing at them.
When Sarah is injured, Bobo says an earnest prayer asking for her recovery. She also prays to Sarah’s ancestors, making the same request.
Someone wears a “lucky” necklace. A Catholic Bishop leads the current government. Bobo references C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Bobo says that when her parents go into their room and shut the door, she’s supposed to “go away and get busy.” Her mom tells her they’re just resting, but Bobo says she knows the truth—that they’re “laughing, drinking brandy and moving furniture with their clothes off.” And we briefly see Bobo’s parents canoodling just before they shut their bedroom door.
A poster of a naked woman, with guns and duct tape covering her private areas, hangs on the wall of the Fuller’s bathroom. Bobo mentions the picture to her grandmother, asking why she isn’t allowed to read “naughty magazines.”
Men and women dance sensually at a party. Bobo sees her mother, Nicola, dancing with another man. The man later leans up against Nicola, asking her to marry him, but she laughs it off and goes back to the party.
In another scene, Nicola shows up to a gathering intoxicated. She turns on the radio, encouraging everyone to dance. Dancing alone, she lifts the hem of her dress, revealing her unclothed bottom.
We also see Nicola from the shoulders up taking a bath. She later exits the bath in a panic. We see her bare backside, and Bobo giggles, not realizing that her mom is having a nervous breakdown. Elsewhere, Nicola is exposed again during a manic episode.
Bobo also giggles at a carved metal dish depicting a bare behind. Song lyrics talk about sex. Bobo, her older sister and her dad sing along to a song about a stripper.
Bobo refers to her private parts as “down there,” stating she once got a tick while using the toilet.
From Bobo’s perspective, the war started because some Africans claimed the land was theirs first and that the Europeans stole it. They became terrorists, she says, and that’s how the war started.
Now, although the war is technically over, the factions that participated are still violent toward and fearful of one another. And we see elements of that ongoing conflict play out.
For instance, Bobo’s parents, as already stated, sleep with guns. Bobo herself helps her dad clean the weapons and even toys around with a grenade. Bobo expresses her fear of terrorists several times. She rides around her family’s farm and the local village with a BB gun strapped to her back. The family only goes to town with an armed escort. And when Bobo’s dad must leave the family for a few days, he hires a former soldier to protect them in his absence.
However, the violence goes beyond just fear. The man hired to protect Bobo’s family has a scar across his face and is blind in one eye from a previous battle. We’re told that he and many like him were “messed up” by what they saw and did during the war. A news report on TV shows footage of several missionaries, who were brutally murdered, along with their wives and children. Another report mentions women and children who were murdered in their village then eaten by their own dogs. And we see and hear even more reports of death throughout the film.
Jacob, one of the men who works on the Fuller’s farm, warns Sarah not to show favor to Bobo, since rival factions might think she’s a “collaborator.” [Spoiler Warning] Sure enough, the Fullers come home one night to find Sarah bleeding out, her throat slit. (They administer first aid and call an ambulance, saving Sarah’s life. But when we next see Sarah, her neck is heavily bandaged.) Jacob expresses frustration with the Fullers for complaining about attacks on their farm but never taking notice of the men killed in defense of their property.
Bobo’s younger sister died about a year before the events of the film, we hear. A flashback shows the toddler wander outside to a pond. We hear (but don’t see) a splash. Shortly after, an adult finds her and administers CPR, but she’s too late to save her. Bobo feels guilt for this since she was supposed to be watching her sister.
While using the bathroom one night, Bobo discovers her mother face down in the tub. She screams and attempts to pull Nicola out. Nicola survives, telling Bobo that she wasn’t trying to die—that she was just “resting her eyes”—but Bobo doesn’t believe her.
A friend of Bobo’s parents corners Vanessa (Bobo’s teenage sister) in the bathroom at a party. He leers at her and sexually assaults her, forcing his finger inside her mouth during the attack as she cries and gags. Bobo witnesses this and tells their parents at a later date, but Vanessa, embarrassed, denies the attack.
We see several bleeding men handcuffed to cell doors in a prison. Several prisoners cry out in agony. Nicola threatens squatters on her land with a whip. Bobo almost hits another child with her motorbike, but she stops just in time.
Nicola shoots a cobra slithering through their kitchen. Vanessa accidentally smothers a baby chick she’s been raising. Vanessa issues a couple of threats to Bobo. Bobo is warned not to put a beaded necklace into her mouth since she’ll be a “goner” if she swallows one of the beads. Some people make some inappropriate jokes about death.
Due to her exposure to the war, Bobo has a bit of a preoccupation with death.
There are 14 uses of the f-word and half as many of the s-word. We also hear uses of “b–tard,” “c–k,” “d–mit” and “p-ss.” The British expletive “bloody” is used repeatedly. God’s name is abused a dozen times over, and Jesus’ name is abused twice.
Someone uses the word “fag,” though not as a slur. (The word is a common British synonym for cigarette.)
Bobo’s parents and other adults smoke and drink almost constantly. Bobo occasionally steals cigarettes, smoking them by herself and with other children. (On one occasion, Sarah catches Bobo and extinguishes the cigarette.)
Nicola is clearly suffering from alcohol addiction, a result of her depression since her youngest child died.
Throughout the film, there’s a clear racial struggle occurring. Bobo’s family tells her that they aren’t racist. However, their actions show that they at least somewhat believe white colonists are superior to African natives. And at times, Bobo follows this line of thinking, using some racial slurs, ordering around some African children during playtime and acting bossy toward adults Sarah and Jacob. However, as the film progresses, Bobo learns that her behavior (and the behaviors of her parents) is wrong, and that she shouldn’t act so entitled and elitist.
Bobo’s mother, Nicola, has been mentally unstable since the death of her youngest daughter. As a result, the house has fallen into disarray. Bobo is filthy and never bathes because Nicola neglects her. (Nicola’s own mother criticizes her for this, but only because Bobo reeks.) Nicola is verbally abusive to her family. At times, she seems to be hearing voices. She becomes paranoid and manic. Vanessa believes that Nicola no longer loves any of them. Rather, she thinks that Nicola only cares about her animals and keeping the farm. And sadly, Nicola’s increasingly irrational thoughts and actions seem to prove Vanessa correct.
In the end, Bobo’s father sells the farm, even though he knows his wife would rather die than give it up. He does so to protect his family: Since Bishop Muzorewa lost the election, the land will eventually be given back to the Africans. However, when Nicola learns what has happened, she falls even deeper into her depression.
Bobo’s grandfather is nonverbal, only capable of grunting. He’s in a wheelchair and wears a colostomy bag. Bobo’s grandmother is verbally abusive to him. And Bobo herself is scared of the man. Elsewhere, Bobo meets a family whose son is mentally disabled as the result of inadequate medical care during a bad illness.
Characters lie. Bobo is frequently disobedient. Nicola insults men suffering from PTSD. She initially gives medical advice and medicine to local villagers, though she delivers this aid with a snide attitude. However, after the bishop loses the election, she refuses to offer any help at all, turning away people in need. Later, one of these people scolds Bobo, taking out her anger with Nicola on the girl.
We see Bobo sitting on the toilet and hear her urinating. Vanessa says that Bobo gets worms from the family cat. Someone pulls a tick off her leg and squishes it, and then her dog licks it up. A man passes gas, and several children who hear him do so laugh. We see Bobo pick out wedgies on a few occasions.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, by Alexandra Fuller, is an award-winning book published in 2002. It recounts the author’s childhood spent in Africa during the Rhodesian Bush War.
The story is told from a child’s perspective, but the things Alexandra experienced (and what we witness onscreen in this film as a result) aren’t something you’d want your own kids seeing.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, the movie, is peppered with brutal murders, foul language, growing racial tensions and non-Christian spiritual beliefs. Much of the film focuses on the rapidly declining mental health of Bobo’s mother (who is an alcoholic), which culminates in a suicide attempt.
Add to that a toddler’s drowning and the sexual assault of a teenager, and this film quickly meanders into territory most families won’t want to wander into.
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
