The Brotherhood of the Wolf
A combination thriller that will wow you with its artistry as it keeps you guessing until the end
Although the storyline rivals any modern supernatural thriller, and sometimes veers off into the too-fantastic (unlike more sedate American action/adventure films), "Brotherhood of the Wolf" (Le Pacte des Loups) is as artistic as it is beautiful (even as its horrible).
This film is loosely based on a French legend about a paranormal wolf who terrorizes the countryside at the hands of a psychopathic human. Later it is apparent that the creature is sent with a purpose, commanded by a collective (the Brotherhood). A scientist and his Iroquois friend are sent by the king to deal with and contain the threat. The scientist is immediately taken by a local noblewoman, Marianne de Morangias, and a dangerous prostitute, Sylvia. Both women help him on his quest back from the grave to avenge his friend’s death and all the people in Gevaudan who were murdered by the beast.
The movie is amazing. It is a cross between classic "Jaws"-like horror, "House of Flying Daggers" acrobatics, "Underworld" mystique, and "Amelie"-brilliant cinematography. The plot is one that stands out against all the other formulaic drivel repeated over and over by lazy Americans. The scene of the attack that opens the film draws the viewer into the story and makes them wish they were French nobility, or even French prostitutes. The viewer feels involved.
The romance of the language, and also between the scientist (Grégoire de Fronsac) and his noblewoman (Marianne), is a stark contrast to the blood, violence and carnage in the wake of the beast. If the viewer is at all interested in foreign films or thrillers the "Brotherhood of the Wolf" shouldn’t be missed!
Written by: Tracy Elledge
Reviewers Rating: 9.5
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Reader's Votes: 0
Added: 25-Jun-2007
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