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Brotherhood of the Wolf 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Christophe Gans
R, 146 min. (violence, gore, nudity, sexuality) |
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Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Cassel, Emilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci, Jérémie Rénier, Mark Dacascos, Jean Yanne, Jean-François Stévenin
Producers: Richard Grandpierre, Samuel Hadida
Screenplay: Stéphane Cabel, Christophe Gans
Cinematography: Dan Laustsen
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Released: 1.11.02 (Limited)
(In French with subtitles) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
Brotherhood of the Wolf has a little of everything - action, adventure, horror, historical drama, martial arts, love, sex, and most importantly,
mystery. It takes a premise and doesn't just add to it - it builds a monument in its honor. The film was one of Europe's most
popular in 2001, and, despite being subtitled and French, Universal saw the obvious potential of another foreign action film
and jumped on it. Although it uses the mysterious story of the "Beast of Gevaudan" in 1764 France as its starting point, the film quickly wanders
off in its own direction, leading us to an interesting theory of where the beast came from and why it terrorized the countryside.
At times violent and suspenseful, Brotherhood of the Wolf is an irresistible action/adventure film that beckons you to come
along for the ride.
It's 1764 France, and the countryside of Gevaudan is being hunted by a large wolf (or is it?). Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan)
and his companion, Mani (Mark Dacascos), an Indian from America, have arrived to help kill the creature. Although the
locals are convinced it's a demon-like creature, Fronsac is not convinced. He is intent on finding it and eventually studying it.
Soon Fronsac and Mani become intimately involved with the community during their stay. They meet the mysterious Jean-François de Morangias (Vincent Cassel)
and his sister Marianne (Emilie Dequenne), a nobleman Thomas d'Apcher (Jérémie Rénier), a secretive courtesan Sylvia (Monica Bellucci),
and the local clergyman Sardis (Jean-François Stévenin). With Fronsac's inability to kill the creature, the King has sent troops
to assist in their search. While the historical record ends with the killing of a large wolf, the story postulates that this was a
hoax to cover up the true story of the creature. Now Fronsac and Mani must uncover the secrets of the community to discover
the whereabouts of the wolf.
The film is clearly centered around action, and lots of it. Mani, the last of his Iroqouis tribe from America, possesses great
fighting skills and is eager to present them whenever provoked. Fronsac is also skilled, although we don't discover this until
late in the story. There are obvious comparisons to the martial arts genre, specifically in the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
tradition, but it's hard to say the film itself is a martial arts endeavor because of its slow pace and storyline. In fact, if there
is a weakness, it's the film's pedestrian pacing - the middle third of the film is so soporific that you begin to wonder if it
will ever return to its former storyline. The film is long, probably too long, but is able to keep afloat with its interesting characters
and superfluous fight scenes. However, its final thirty minutes are quick-paced, frenzied, and confusing if you're
not paying attention. It almost lures you into a false sense of security before thrusting the viewer into a deluge of violence.
Even if the film had been disappointing, its cinematography is not. Dan Laustsen captures colors, images of terror, and
atmosphere in a masterful way. The film is fun to look at, from slow-motion action to quick-cutting flashes of horror, and
each scene is devised in a way to capitalize on the feeling and mood of the moment. Costume design is also lively, capturing
the essence of the noble and the misery of the poor. It seems as if the entire film is shrouded in mystery, not only because
of its subject matter, but also because of its visual composition.
Brotherhood of the Wolf is pure entertainment. Almost every conceivable story angle is addressed, with fantasy and drama
intermingled as if they were fact. You root for the good guys and boo the bad guys, hoping the film will turn out exactly as
it does. Sure, there are twists and turns, and, for a moment, you're not sure things will unravel satisfactorily. But eventually
you succumb to your imagination, allowing the film the freedom to push the envelope of plausibility well past its breaking point.
It's all in fun, and because you trusted the film, it doesn't disappoint.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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