Brotherhood of the Wolf

Rating:
Summary: Innovative, Unusual & well worth a watch
Review: Brotherhood of the Wolf is a powerful,slightly
disturbing film set in 18th century France. The
critics' comments on the video cover describe it as
"an epic action movie", "a unique mix of costume drama
and kung fu" and various similar comments.
I would agree with the above but there is a lot more
to the film than that. Basically,the film tackles the
traditional french struggle between Church and State
woven around a plot involving mysterious killings of
peasants by a fearsome "beast" whose origins and
motives are unknown (if that doesn't sound too
ridiculous!).
Tha Christophe Lambert lookalike Samuel le Bihan is
good as the hero as is the underrated Mark
Dacascos (Crying Freeman,Drive). Vincent Cassel is
surprisingly effective in a more villainous role while
Monica Belluci is possibly the most perfect woman on
the planet. Having said that,however,i wouldn't advise
renting this film just to see her unclothed-it doesn't
last long. Cassel and Monica are, i believe, married so
ther's hope for all those ugly bastards out there!
But i digress. The film is pretty long and the action
doesn't get underway for quite a while which is a tad
irritating but ultimately makes for a better
film. After about an hour or so,things hot up and the
plot thickens.As i was tired and a bit pissed at the
time,this review is a bit lazy by my standards but suffice to
say this is a superb film which is well worth a place
in anyone's collection.

Verdict:7.5/10 Buy if you like films with a dark, mysterious theme. Rent if you just want to see a good action film
IG, 13/10/2002

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Rating:
Summary: Quite the exceptional French Action/Horror film:
Review: Largely based on actual events taking place during the reign of King Louis XV, Brotherhood of the Wolf is an 18th-century-era tale of the mysterious "Beast of Gevaudan" that left a trail of mutilated victims (mostly women and children) and spread wholesale terror amongst the peasants in southeast France before its eradication under somewhat mysterious circumstances.
In the film, King Louis XV assigns a young detective Gregoire de Fronsac (Le Bihan) and his partner Mani (Mark Dacascos), a Mohawk Indian to investigate the mysterious creature.

The incredibly lavish, numbered limited edition 3-disk French DVD release included:
1. Production Notes
2. Audio commentary by Director Christophe Gans, actors Samuel Le Bihan and Vincent Cassel
3. An 80-minute "Making of... " featurette
4. A 36-minute editing featurette of Cut scenes
5. Clips of plans not used
6. Interview of Historian Michel Louis
7. Theatrical trailers
8. A 24-page booklet
9. a 90-minute documentary on 'Turning'
10. Deleted scenes, trailers, storyboards, stills, posters, production notes, a press kit and DVD-Rom content.

Chances are slim that purchasers of the Region 1 US version will be treated to the same fine accompaniments.

Rating:
Summary: BEASTLY DOINGS
Review: This is one of those movies I had a hard time deciding whether I Liked it or not! It's way too long (over 2 and a half hours), and it drags immensely in spots. The martial art sequences are dazzingly filmed, and Samuel LeBihan makes an attractive hero; Mark Dacascos does well as his sidekick. But the movie is so burdened by unnecessarily long discussions on politics and religious philosophy. The end title song is beautiful, wish I knew who did it. The cinematography is lush and the mood sustained during the beast attacks is well done.
Overall, it is definitely a "different" movie, just makes me ambiguous as to whether the investment of time was worth it??

Rating:
Summary: Pure Entertainment
Review: If you're looking for a good time, you really can't go wrong with 'Brotherhood of the Wolf'...Its got beautiful renassiance cinematography, religious plots, a beast right out of your favorite horror film, action scenes of the highest quality, and charismatic actors that are great fun to watch. I bought this film and I love it every time I watch it. Just don't expect 'Citizen Kane'...or 'Crouching Tiger' for that matter...and you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Brotherhood Of the Wolf-A Masterwork of Period Horror
Review: Director Christopher Gans (Crying Freeman, Necronomicon)has adapted the 300 year old case of the Beast of Gevaudon into the absolutely brilliant BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (Le Pacte De Loups). Samuel Le Bihan stars as King Louis the XV's chief naturalist, war veteren Gregoire De Fronsac, sent to the French countryside with his best friend, a Native American warrior named Mani (Marc DeCascos)to hunt and kill a wolf-like "beast" responsible for a series of bloody deaths. Along the way, they encounter political intrigue, a witchy courtisan (the stunning Monica Belucchi) and the Beast itself, with amazing results.
Although compared to The Matrix, Crouching Tiger and Jaws, I found this breathtaking film more in the vein of Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China series, with a dose of Dragonslayer thrown in for good measure. Complete with amazing locations, spot-on costumes and butt-kicking Savate sequences courtesy of DeCascos, Le Bihan and the menacing Vincent Cassel (The Crimson Rivers), BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF was well worth the year's wait (it was released in France in January of 2001). By all means, treat yourself to this truly ORIGINAL film. Within five minutes, you'll forget the subtitles, drawn in by the film's voluptuous beauty and thrilling plot twists.

Rating:
Summary: A truly entertaining historical action movie from France
Review: We (Husband Steve and myself) had expected a 'normal' werewolf story, but we were in for a pleasant surprise!
Steve did not mind reading the subtitles and I am lucky enough to understand French, so we both left the cinema very happy indeed. The plot centres around a mystical beast said to be roaming the forest and killing women and children and is based on a true story in late 18th century France. It is said that still today local historians do not know what exactly the beast was, but the killings stopped all of a sudden, so the beast must have somehow been hunted down and killed. The makers of the film made sure their research was solid enough to make the story plausible, and as for the setting, the costumes,the atmospere, the colours, the language and the portrayal of French aristocracy and life in that period of time just before the French Revolution is lively and full of suspense. The main characters of the story are the noble Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan) and his taciturn Native American companion and blood brother Mani (Mark Dacascos) who have been asked by the French king to investigate the story of the Beast in the French region of Gévaudan. There they meet an amazing assembly of nobles who in spite of the killings do not seem altogether interested in uncovering the truth, but more in getting rid of the investigators and going back to leading their normal lives - the reason for which becomes apparent later on in the plot. Even the love interest between de Fronsac and Marianne de Morangias (Emilie Dequenne) does not slow things down as so often happens in films of that nature, and the witty dialogues are a pleasure to follow.
There is a lot of mysticism involved, be it through the character of J.François Morangias (brother of Marianne, Vincent Cassel) whose travels had led him to Africa where he lost one of his arms while hunting and who will do anything to keep his sister from harm - or men like de Fronsac, or the amazingly impressing representation of a Native American's way of looking at life, nature and people, and as an extra bonus the action scenes are superbly done.
So, it goes almost without saying that the character that impressed us most was the taciturn Mohawk Indian and the way Mark Dacascos managed to portray him as an almost supernatural being linked to nature and animals and seemingly removed and existing on a totally different spiritual level.
We wholeheartedly recommend this film, it is full of action, suspense, drama, a must!!

Rating:
Summary: I liked it in spite of myself
Review: Despite the horrible MTV-style editing (which is a catalog of dated cliches), Enya-esque River Dance soundtrack, questionable CGI, gratuitous bordello scenes, and a crazy plotline that collapses under its own obesity, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed it because it is so unlike the cookie-cutter movies coming out of Hollywood these days. The story seemed fresh and I really didn't have a clue as to where it was going. With a little restraint and discipline this movie could have been truly moving. I actually felt a bit sad for "the beast". As flawed as it is, this movie's originality and energy carry the day. If only the Nintendo-style production paused to fully mine the great characters and themes this unique story offers. Very little of it makes sense, in the end, but it's a fun ride. The idea of placing a Mohawk Indian amidst the provincial nobility of 18th century France is fascinating. This film reminds me of of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, The Last of the Mohicans, and Polanski's Tenant all rolled into one.

Rating:
Summary: Regarding the Beast
Review: From the outset of Le Pacte de Loups, we know that the central beast of the movie is no ordinary wolf. Regarding its identification, however - a point that is never truly elucidated whether you've seen the film or not - there remains debate. My initial and superseding question is, no matter how the beast appears, what makes it impossible to believe in the beast's specificity as a common French wolf? This fact is unmistakable to my intuitions. Many of you might not know French, but I looked it up and "loup" is actually French for "wolf" - not "beast," like many appear to think. First point, the movie title states this so-called mysterious answer from the outset. If the beast was a hyena, the French would be referring to "hyènes," and were it a lion, it would actually be called "lion" (the two languages share this word).

If you need more evidence, there is no lack in the film. Our beast is often seen running with its pack, howling at the moon, and killing people. While Grégoire attempts to denounce the belief in human murders by wolf, one of the final scenes of the movie clearly depicts wolves doing just that: an obvious statement to disaffirm his slander. If you listen to the revealing narrative at the end of the film, it is stated that while visiting Africa Jean-François found the beast and raised her offspring, selecting the largest and strongest to take back with him to France and training it to be more ferocious and cruel than the average wolf.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. Earlier we learn that this character has been savaged by a lion, which resulted in the loss of his right forelimb. Would you take the same animal that disfigured you and raise it as your own? Neither would Jean-François.

Rating:
Summary: 18th Century French action packed monster movie.
Review: 'Le Pacte des loups' or `Brotherhood of the Wolf' is never sure of what it really wants to be, but whenever it tries to be something - it does so very well. The movie is based on a set of real events which occurred in France around the time of the revolution. Because of this the director must satisfy everybody including his French historical peers, scholars, the general French movie-goer and horror enthusiasts........ with a hit of softcore pornography for those that want that too. What you get is a mix of love, terror, kung-fu, monster attacks and French anarchy a brew in glorious widescreen for over two hours.

The film is very French but whenever the beast is being hunted or is running amok the film goes into `super-overdrive'. This is really where the heart of the story should be but there is not enough of this as the plot drifts more into the department of seedy royal undertones and lovers who seem to sleep with everyone else but the ones they are supposed to be loyal too. But the result is pure and utter bedlam for two hours that never sits still or gets tired itself. You will be hard pressed to sit through this film without enjoying at least a good bit of it.

The director has decided that every type of film genre should have its share on the screen. The result is something that is very original, new and has never been seen before! For that 'Le Pacte des loups' scores tops marks, but alas it does have its pitfalls.

The monster does not make enough of an appearance towards the end, but the build up to it is akin to `Jaws'. The love triangles are not needed and are simply there for a taste of `Dangerous Liaisons'. The upper class characters are only explained through their dialogue and interactions but remain quite wooden apart from a good scene involving an Indian, Mani (a superbly acted Mark Dacascos!!.. can u believe it?) telling them what their animal totem is. Although Mani is one of the highlights of the film, not to mention a main character, he never seems to escape the fact that he is just another `Queequeg' from `Moby Dick'.

On the upside the editing, stunts, camera and rain is second to none. The screen violence is executed quite well (this is an extremely bloody picture in the second half) to quell the thirst of the horror fans and the investigation of the beast's species type is a cool neat coy that plays with you right up until the end.

In short, this movie is a rare opportunity to see what an `all genre' film looks like if anything else. Undoubtedly in time it will become a `cult classic'.......and it probably deserves it too.

Rating:
Summary: I liked it a lot
Review: Le Pacte des loups or Brotherhood of the Wolf in english is a fantastic movie. This movie has it all in it. There is plenty of martial arts, mystery, sexualtiy, and action in it. The story has enough twists and turns that will want you wanting to watch it again.

It's 18 Century France and the Gevaudan providence is being attacked by a beast. Hundreds of people have been killed by this beast. It's suppose to be some kind of Wolf, but no one knows because all that have seen it have been killed. All they have are the ripped up and maimed bodies.

The King of France is worried about this so he sends in Grefoire de Fronsac(Bihan) to investigate. Fronsac is quite the traveler and renassaince man and he brings his Iroquois Indian companion Manni(Dacascos) with him to help during his investigation.

During his investigation of the beast killings Fronsac discovers the Beast might not be the main problem in the town. He has fallen for one of the local woman aristocrats Marianne(Dequenne). The problem with there relationship is that her brother Jean-Francois(Cassel) is slowing the investigation. Not only does he have love for Marianne but also one of the local town prostitutes Sylvia(Bellucci). She knows to much about people in the town but Fronsac trusts her. With two woman that he loves and his blood brother Manni at his side Fronsac realizes the only problem in Gevaudan might not be a wolf like beast.

Samuel Le Bihan is the man in this movie. This is the only thing I've ever seen him in and I'm quite impressed by the Frenchmans work. He has a certain arrogance and apeal that makes him very likeable. The character that he plays Fronsac is one bad dude. Samuel plays him to perfection and I can't imagine anybody else doing this role.

Mark Dacascos is good as the martial art Indian Manni. Once again this is the first thing I've ever seen this guy in and I'm quite impressed with him. His martial art skills appear to be very good. I hope to see more of him in the future. If you like martial art films you will love Manni and Fronsac.

This is the first movie that I ever saw Monica Bellucci in. It's quite humorous to see her in this movie and then to go back and see her in The Passion of Christ. She plays a prostitute in this movie and she is hot. Oh my gosh does she look good in this film.

The film does drag in a bunch of places as they try to develop the complex myserious story. The parts don't drag all that bad though because of the awe of mystery that is still left. I must admit I was very anxious to see what the beast looked like. I was kind of disappointed when I did see it, but It was different and I respect that.

The martial arts in the film are great. One of the critics I read said it this movie is Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon except put blood into the fighting scenes. I could not agree with him any more. This is a very violent film and the fight sequences are great. Everybody loves to see good sword and fight play. This movie has a lot of it.

The cinematography is excellent in the film. The sets look like 18 century France and you get the feeling as if you are there. The costumes look great from the poor peasants to the rich aristocrats. The score is pretty good and all around it's a very well made movie.

It's a five star movie. Despite being a little long, it was good enough to keep you hooked in the awe of mystery. The fight sequences are great and the performances by the actors and actresses are great. It's a well written movie and the cinematography is Oscar caliber. Go rent this movie first and see if you like it. If you liked it then go buy it. I'm glad I did. Even if it is a French import.