Customer Reviews

Brotherhood of the Wolf (Widescreen)

5 star:		(106)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (Le Pacte des Loups, 2001): In 18th century France, a brave young naturalist (Samuel Le Bihan [TROIS COULEURS ROUGE]) and his Native American companion (Mark Dacascos [DRIVE]) are hired to trace the origins of a bloodthirsty 'beast' which has been terrorizing the countryside, killing women and children. But their investigations uncover an appalling conspiracy which cuts to the very heart of French high society...

Loosely based on true events, this high-powered Gallic blockbuster - directed by Christophe Gans, hired on the strength of his incredible genre-bending adaptation of CRYING FREEEMAN - wowed French audiences when released in 2001. And no wonder! A high-kicking combination of horror movie, period drama, political thriller and 'Matrix'-inspired kung fu pageant, the film combines the best elements of these disparate sub-genres in a dazzling display of technical wizardry. Photographed in widescreen Super 35 by Dan Laustsen (MIMIC, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN), and played with solemn conviction by an all-star cast - including relative newcomers Vincent Cassel (LA HAINE), Monica Bellucci (the MATRIX sequels) and Jeremie Renier (LES AMANTS CRIMINELS), and veterans Jean Yanne (most recently seen in BELLE MAMAN) and Edith Scob (the elegant heroine of Franju's LES YEUX SANS VISAGE) - the movie is a riot of action and intrigue, sustained by a multilayered screenplay (co-authored by Gans and Stephane Cabel) which recounts an elaborate fable of class warfare and religious bigotry during a grim period of French history. The fight scenes - choreographed with ruthless efficiency by Hong Kong movie veteran Phillip Kwok (MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE, HARD-BOILED, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, etc.) - are fashioned with elegant grace, and edited to perfection by Sebastien Prangere and David Wu Dai-wai (another prominent HK movie figure, Ronny Yu Yan-tai's current editor of choice). Much of the film's otherworldly visual texture is due to the sumptuous art direction (by Guy-Claude Francois [JEFFERSON IN PARIS]) and costume design (by Dominique Borg), which roots proceedings in a recognizable period 'style', despite Gans' resolutely modern approach to the material. It shouldn't work, but it does, somehow. The 'explanation' for the beast and its murderous activities - which takes into account a wide range of modern research into the story of an animal which really DID terrorize the French countryside during the 18th century - forms the backbone of the entire production, and while much of the film is a rip-roaring joy, the climactic sequences are offset by an element of tragedy and sadness, which thoroughly distinguishes the movie from most of its Hollywood counterparts. All in all, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF is a magnificent folly, way ahead of its time, and quite unlike anything ever made before.

This review is based on a viewing of the Canadian disc from TVR Films which presents the original French version in its entirety (the international version, including the one released in the US and UK, appears to be shorter by about 10 minutes) and runs 150m 34s, minus the logos which open the video print and weren't part of the original production, and letterboxes the scope frame at 2.35:1 (anamorphically enhanced). The US disc - a region 1 release from Universal - is a no-frills affair which features a letterboxed anamorphic version of the shorter print, and some reviews suggest it's a better-looking transfer than the one featured on the Canadian disc. Captions and subtitles are provided. The Canadian version, however, is a 3-disc spectacular, and features (amongst many other things) an extremely frank documentary on the making of the film which opens with an actress being clobbered during an accident on-set, and proceeds to outline the various obstacles which constantly threatened the production schedule (not least the unpredictable weather during location shooting) and ultimately strained relations between director Gans and co-producer Samuel Hadida. That such a remarkable film emerged from these traumatic circumstances says much about the talent and dedication of these extraordinary gentlemen and all those who helped bring their unique vision to the silver screen. A triumph.

3 DISC SPECIAL EDITION

Special Features
(all special features are in French WITH English subtitles unless otherwise noted)

:: Two Commentaries (in French with NO English subs)
:by actors Samuel Le Bihan and Vincent Cassel
:by director Christophe Gans
:: Deleted Scenes
:: "The Guts of the Beast" Documentary - 78 min.
:: "Behind the Scenes" Documentary - 78 min.
:: Filmographies
:: Trailer
:: "The Legend" Documentary
:: Storyboards
:: Photo Gallery
:: Production Notes Booklet

Imagine a fairy tale... but with grit, blood, stylized camerawork, and lots of French kung-fu.

That about sums up "Brotherhood of the Wolf," a gritty horror/martial-arts/erotic/action movie loosely based on the French legend of the Beast of Gévaudan, but with a chilling story woven around it. Christophe Gans could have given it a bit more character development, but it's a simple flaw in an otherwise horrifying, intense experience.

An enormous, savage wolflike beast is killing young women and children in the French countryside. And so royal naturalist Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan) and his Native American sidekick Mani (Mark Dacascos) arrive to investigate, and find that the local authorities are incompetant, the Beast is larger than any wolf, and it's still savaging the locals.

Mani and Grégoire set about tracking down the beast, finding it to be too large and intelligent (and with metal fangs too). But something more sinister than animal attacks is going on -- Fronsac uncovers a mysterious, treasonous society connected to the Beast, and a mysterious courtesan (Monica Belucci) with hidden motives.

It may be based on a real incident, but "Brotherhood of the Wolf" soon takes off into its own storyline. And director Gans crams the whole thing with whatever he likes -- horror, action, political period drama, and some French martial arts. It's like an old fairy tale mutated into a live-action anime.

And Gans' direction style can include a little of everything too -- he handles rosy-skied romantic scenes with the same dexterity as raw sex scenes, rainy sludge and bloody chases. And he handles the camera just as well, although the style comes as a bit of a shock in a period film -- it zooms down cliffs and through underbrush, rapid-pans, and lingers on the fairy-tale landscapes of the French countryside.

One of the best examples of this is near the beginning, with Mani and Grégoire encountering a pair of gypsies being bullied, and Mani whipping the bullies with savate and a little la canne. It's a wild, dizzying scene, and thoroughly effective in showing these guys as a force to be reckoned with. But at the same time, Gans wraps the beginning and end in a sense of poignant regret.

If there's a flaw, it's that the plot and rich direction take up so much time that it's hard to wedge in some character development. Bihan fares pretty well as the inscrutable taxidermist, and over the course of the movie, you develop a liking for him and his girlfriend. But it would have been nice if the characters of Mani and Sylvia were explored a bit more than they were -- as it is, Belucci and Dacascos do amazing jobs with their characters.

This horror/action/period/French kung-fu flick breaks all the rules, and it's all the more enjoyable for it. A glorious action classic, and a must-see for cult film lovers.

Wow! Four out of five. Three out of five. You have to be joking don't you? This movie is perfection. Pure, true, honest, stylish. Of course Americans get a bit ruffled when a 'foreign' film shows the good old US of A how 'it's done' yet again. You folk like you're movies with justification, explanation and gradification... all tied up in a bow. This movie is not sugar covered and goes in depth within (I won't give it away for those that have not seen it) an area that goes way back in time and is still happening today (Bohemiam Grove hint hint etc)which has always fascinated me. So why would you not like it? Firstly that pesky 'other' language (yes, it's in French - and so it should be) makes those of less IQ's have to read. Pesky pesky. Secondly it has many layers as a movie and does not always have to explain EVERYTHING that is going on, and instead relies on the intellect of it's viewers and allows us to progress on the journey and make up our own minds as to how, why and who. I will not go into 'explaining' the film as it is done already in the top review and you all seem to explain it over and over again. I am not French as you may all think, and instead an Aussie relieved and satisfied that a certain standard of perfection is retained in some movies in the world. Erotic, scary, action, suspense, intelligent, beautiful. Simply one of the best movies I have seen this year. (I'll put money on it that America will remake this movie very soon... and yet again bugger up another classic foreign film that should have been left well alone! Please don't! I beg you!)

This is the definitive collector's edition. Three DVDs, packed with extras, making of, uncut version (over 8 minutes longer). It is a very good movie with excellent photography and ambience. It is a very different style compared to what hollywood usually spoon feeds to their audiences, and I loved its mixture of genre.

this movie may or may not have been inspired by real events.if it
was,i'm sure a lot was changed for dramatic effect.it takes place in
France during the reign of King Louis XV in 1776.it chronicles the hunt
for a an unseen and unknown beast that has responsible for many deaths
and has paralyzed the citizens with fear.two men with special talent
are dispatched to find and destroy the monster.i won't give any more
away plot wise.however,i will say,this is not a horror movie.that
is,it's not really scary but there is a definite pallor of death
throughout the movie.there is some suspense of sorts in the movie and
fair amount of action,with some great fight scenes.the film also has
it's lighter moments,with some amusing scenes.one knock i have against
this movie,is that the beast was kind of a disappointment to
me.however,i do like the reason given for the killing rampage.i thought
it was kind of unique.the movie is a France/Canada production,so you
can watch it with English subtitles,or you can watch the dubbed
version.i watched the dubbed version and was very impressed with the
quality of that aspect.the dubbing is very good.as for the movie
itself,it clocks in at 162 minutes,but i never found it boring.for
me,"Pacte des loups ,Le",AKA "Brotherhood of the Wolf" is a 3.5/5

I liked this movie alot but there are certain problems with it one being its lenght... this movie is WAY tooo long. i wish all movies would cut down there time by atleast 30 minutes to 45 minutes cuz length really isnt an advantage. ANYWAYs this movie is also subtitled which is ok just reading a movie isnt as relaxing and fun as jsut watching one in my opinon. i speak many different languages tho( 4 actually and french being oen of them) so i can watch this movie and relax unlike you mono language people.. :P.

I recommend this movie to all those you like movies that are based on folklore and myths. Its an interesting story and a very good movie but if you are a chick flick gal or gent then skip over this one which you probably could have donewith out me telling you because the cover obviously didnt have a guy and a girl on the front. I also recommend those who dont like subtitles to not take up 143 mintues of there life to read subtitles. to everyone else i recommend this movie because it has its own taint of orginality coming from a different country which is alwasy a nice breath of fresh air after being bombared with charlies angles, x men, spiderman and other overly plain and formula action flicks.

There are many different views here about The Brotherhood Of The Wolf. We need to remember that everyone has the right to their own opinion. I loved this film. I've always been a fan of films that are derived from legends and myths. It gived the story something special.

I adore Monica Belluci. I loved her character. She was a strong woman with power. I wouldn't of minded seeing her sail off with "the naturalist," instead of Marianne, lol.

There really isn't anything that I would complain about. People have to realize that this is a film and that it shouldn't be taken TOO seriously. I mean, what's the point of getting upset because the Native rituals in the film weren't exactly 100%? I think that the director took some liberty with that.

Overall, it was a great film that takes you away to a different time and place. I'm planning on buying the DVD to add to my growing collection.

I understand people have different opinions on movies, but to say this movie is 'dull' is beyond belief! I can only asume the people saying this are religious and find the movie offensive...or hate the French (American's mostly), hate reading subtitles cause they cannot read very well, or just don't understand the film and prefer Die Hard 3! All fair enough. But if you love a good erotic, mysterious, dark adventure you can't go past this movie. I adored it. Finally something intelligent. Now if you are going to anaylse it ie: how did an Indian learn kung fu etc, you need to take a breath and get a life. 'Oh, but it's a silly fable' etc. Well let me remind you, man-kind read a wee book written a long time ago that said a 'man' walked on water and we all fell for that like a tonne of bricks! Isn't THAT 'far fetched' and silly? Yet I'm refering to the bible!!

Getting back to the main topic, Brotherhood of the Wolf is an intelligent fantasy film with everything you need to love this film. The layers of the movie make it a highly enjoyable watch, and of course Mark Dacascos is brilliant yet again. * Did you know that Vincent Cassel, who plays the sly brother, is married to the beautiful Monica Belluci and they are expecting their first child! Just thought you should know that. Monica plays the mysterious sexy [woman]whore.

If you've read my previous reviews and listmanias, you would already know that I'm quite the fantasy fan. One of my good buddies bought it and thought, perhaps, that I might enjoy it. This foreign film, directed by Christophe Gans ("Crying Freeman"), is among the few films to leave me with so many mixed emotions.

Set in 18th Century France, for over two years the French countryside has been raided by a savage beast (thought to be a wolf) of unknown origin. The king sends for Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan), a French cavalier, and his companion Mani (Mark Dacascos), an American indian, to investigate the gruesome deaths by the supposedly large beast. In the meantime Fronsac falls in love with Marianne (Emilie Dequenne) while also bedding with Sylvia (Monica Bellucci).

I know that people usually dislike reviews with spoilers, but in the case of this film, I can't ignore a few spoilers. I found Mani to be the interesting character with his benevolent connection with nature and the creatures around him. I know the kung fu seemed out of place and all, but I didn't really mind it at all (although there is an aspect I disliked about it... later in the review). But I disliked his death midway into the film; he had this humongous battle with the men involved with the beast and then suddenly is killed and tossed aside. There was no dramatic impact, and I found myself disappointed with the way this potentially deep character was treated.

The beast was initially, by Fronsac, dismissed as being a wolf (although you find out that it is indeed a wolf). The director hides his appearance several times; I rather expected it to be fully visible near the end of the picture. Instead, it's revealed rather immediately; I'm not saying he should direct one way or the other, but the initially revelations of the creature are originally from the verbal pictures of the characters, followed by several quick cuts and interesting camera glances. The film spends a lot of time bouncing around the mysterious nature of the creature, and then suddenly just decides to reveal it. It seems out of place, given the context of what the director is hoping to accomplish.

Oh and by the way, the creature was made by Jim Henson's Creature Shop and unfortunately, the beast was lame.

Back to the fight scenes, the fights were fine: however, Mr. Gans often employs the typical MTV-inspired slow-down/speed-em-up editing techniques. This was an irritating drawback for me, as I wanted to admire the choreography instead of wondering they were so needlessly disrupted.

And I think the film's most fatal flaw is its overlength. Two and a half hours may not seem like much in comparison to Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings," but seriously, I found myself wanting the film to end after an hour has passed. It's set in a staggering pace, which sometimes isn't a bad thing (see Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner"), but it works against this film. The director employs a lot of stylistic touches to make the film seem like a period film (which is great), but on the other hand, it makes some scenes unnecessarily long (like when he's faking the creature's death, for example).

Overall, the film is not a terrible one, but you may only want to see once. The style of the film is very exotic and beautiful, much like Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow," which gives it a fantasy tale look to it... but some of the detractions I've mentioned will turn you off depending on what kind of film fan you are. Three stars overall; perhaps you find me overcritical. Oh well.

PROS: Lavish production, art-fantasy tale style similar to "Sleepy Hollow" and other period-type stories, captivating final fight scene.

CONS: Mani is killed way too soon and with little impact on the viewer, the beast is shown early and is lame, story is stretched to the overkill, MTV-fused fight scenes (with the exception of the final duel).