A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Brotherhood of the Wolf

Date of theatrical release: 2001

Details:

Samuel Le Bihan (Gregoire de Fronsac)

Vincent Cassel (Jean-Francois de Morangias)

Emilie Dequenne (Marianne de Morangias)

Monica Bellucci (Sylvia)

Jeremie Renier (Thomas d'Apcher)

Mark Dacascos (Mani, the Iroquois)

Director: Christophe Gans

Score: 3/4

The Review: The French countryside near the Pyrenees, in the years immediately preceding the Revolution, is the stage for this beautifully filmed, almost (but not quite a) horror film. The back-country provinces are being haunted by "the Beast," and peasants are being mauled and murdered boldly in broad daylight. It is a mix of adventure, mystery, romance, ultra-right religious partisans, and inevitable religious and political machinations, mixed with a tinge of Amerindian paranormal and some martial arts. It's a good combination, fresh and intriguing.

The main character who has been sent to investigate these attacks is Gregoire de Fronsac (Bihan; his smile and mood reminds me of Christopher Lambert), who is a naturalist first but as well a soldier in the King's Royal Guard with recent experience in the wars of New France. His companion and friend (Dacascos) is an Iroquois, and the juxtaposition of Indian mysticism and enlightened French pragmatism is curious to watch. There is a bit of Holmes and Watson here, but it is not intrusive; furthermore, the ambiguity is fascinating to watch because it is not always clear who is whom.

This is a French production, dubbed into English, albeit the dubbing is not of uniform quality (the major reason for a less than stellar rating). Occasional snippets of slow-motion are intrusive, distracting, and unnecessary. Jim Hensen's Creature Shop has been enlisted, but be patient: the Beast is a phantom for much of the film, which adds to the suspence and makes it clear this is not intended to be a dazzling SFX film. The DVD version is almost 2h30m in length: "This is the definitive edition," says the director; "over long," says me. But pretty good, notwithstanding.

If you want an alternative (but likewise positive) viewpoint, one of the longer IMDB front-page reviews is both well-written and witty. This review's author claims that the underlying story is a well-known true-to-life French mystery with a factual basis in history. While I cannot (yet) confirm this, it does add to the flavor of the film.

Oct-2002

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