Power and Control in The Call of the Wild (2020): A Foucauldian Analysis

Authors

  • Oliver Rafael Jeswin MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
  • Aurellia Zureil Purnama MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
  • Evan Christian Aditama Situmorang MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
  • Cleary Arnold Sihombing MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
  • Zefanya Christania Evangelina Runtuwene MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Keywords:

Power Relations, Discipline, Governmentality, Michel Foucault, Control

Abstract

This study is aimed at showing how power relations operate in a film, similarly what happens in real-life conditions. This study reads Foucault's 1977 theory of power relations against the 2020 film The Call of the Wild. Buck goes from house pet to wild animal over the course of the story, and the analysis follows that arc through three Foucauldian ideas: disciplinary power, governmentality, and resistance. Using a qualitative method and thematic approach, the narrative, dialogues, and cinematography of the film were analyzed. The findings show that: 1) the power applied in the systems of discipline, hierarchy, and authority significantly influenced Buck's actions, identity, and survival. This was reinforced cinematically through techniques like contrast, composition, framing, and camera angles. Discipline was also shown to involve organization and routine, not just punishment, shaping behavior and identity within organized systems. 2) Power operated through more than overt force. It also worked through routine practices and everyday interactions. Foucault's concept that power is "exercised rather than possessed" is evident as power shifts based on relationships and experience, particularly in Buck's development and his position within the sled dog group. 3) The film illustrates that resistance is a natural component of power systems, as Buck's increasing independence and reduced human domination demonstrate a "will not to be governed." Buck's shift from domestication to self-determination suggests something broader: identity is not fixed, but takes shape through an ongoing relationship with power and environment. This research provides a deeper understanding of how power relations shape transformation and behavior, making it significant for demonstrating how films can convey complex concepts of power, identity, and behavior to a diverse audience. The study highlights that power is a generative force, not merely oppressive, and traces Buck's journey from an object of human discipline to a self-regulating agent dominating a wild pack. It also emphasizes that identity is not fixed but continuously formed through experience, discipline, and adaptation.

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Published

2026-08-31

How to Cite

Jeswin, O. R., Purnama, A. Z., Situmorang, E. C. A., Sihombing, C. A., & Runtuwene, Z. C. E. (2026). Power and Control in The Call of the Wild (2020): A Foucauldian Analysis. Boanerges: Makarios Education Journal, 4(1), 132–143. Retrieved from https://streamfly.tech/index.php/boanerges/article/view/64

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026): BOANERGES

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Table of Contents

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