Changes: Cujo

Revision as of 17:20, 24 March 2020

Cujo is the titular main antagonist of the 1981 horror novel, Cujo, and its 1983 film adaptation. He is a friendly, good-natured, lovable, and playful Saint Bernard, right up until he goes berserk because of a bite infection from a rabid bat.

Background

Personality

Physical Appearance

Appearances

Novel

Film

At the start of the film, Cujo chases a rabbit through the field and into a hole, which turns out to be a cave inhabited by bats, one of which happens to be rabid and bites him on the nose.

When the Trentons drop by the Cambers' place for car repairs, Cujo walks up, and Brett introduces him to the Trentons, reassuring them that he's completely harmless. Donna Trenton notices the bite Cujo recieved, but doesn't think much of it.

While Joe is working on an automobile a day later, Cujo begins to show symptoms when he walks away from the noise, and is woken up by his glass breaking as Joe is meeting with his neighbor Gary Pervier.

One foggy day, Cujo goes missing, prompting Brett to search for him; he encounters him in the woods, where it becomes apparent that Cujo is starting to go mad from the infection when Cujo acts strangely and growls at Brett, but still has some of his senses, as he refrains from attacking Brett and merely walks off into the fog.

As Gary is dumping trash in his backyard, Cujo comes out of the woods, having succumbed to the infection. Cujo attacks Gary, who manages to throw him off, then locks himself in his house. However, Cujo breaks in and proceeds to kill Gary. Moments later, Joe calls out for Cujo, fills his food bowl, then goes looking for Gary. He is horrified upon finding Gary's corpse in the house. Realizing he may possibly be in danger, Joe backs away into the kitchen and tries to call for help. At that moment, Cujo enters the kitchen and mauls Joe to death.

When the Trentons’ car begins malfunctioning again, Donna and her son Tad return to the Camber’s place to get it fixed, unaware that Joe is not there and has been murdered, when they are suddenly attacked by Cujo. Fortunately, Donna is able to close the window and door to keep him from getting in the car. They are forced to spend the night in their car when its alternator dies, and the next few days are brutal, as the sun makes the car interior very hot. To make matters worse, Cujo is lying in wait, attempting to attack them every time they try to get out of the car.

Meanwhile, Vic, attempting to patch things up with his wife, finds that she's not at home. He thinks Steve Kemp, whom Donna had an affair with, kidnapped them, but the police have reason to believe they're at the Cambers' house. The sheriff, George Bannerman, goes there, and ends up having to fight off Cujo, ultimately being corned on a catwalk in the barn, where Cujo knocks him down and kills him before he has a chance to draw his gun.

The heat and lack of water causes Tad to become dehydrated and overheated. Donna slips out of the car and races for the house to get him some water, when Cujo appears from under the front steps; after a brief stare-down, she scrambles for a nearby baseball bat and fights Cujo off with it until it breaks, then stabs him in the stomach with the jagged handle when he tackles her, seemingly killing him. Collecting the sheriff's gun, Donna uses it to break the rear window of the car and brings Tad inside where she revives him with water from the sink, thus saving him from certain death. Her relief is cut short when Cujo regains consciousness and bursts through the kitchen window. Thinking quickly, Donna grabs the gun, and shoots Cujo, killing him and putting him out of his misery.