Brotherhood of the Wolf

Brotherhood of the Wolf

United States poster
Directed by Christophe Gans
Produced by Richard Grandpierre
Samuel Hadida
Written by Christophe Gans
Stéphane Cabel
Starring Samuel Le Bihan
Vincent Cassel
Émilie Dequenne
Monica Bellucci
Jérémie Renier
Mark Dacascos
Music by Joseph LoDuca
Cinematography Dan Laustsen
Editing by David Wu
Sébastien Prangère
Xavier Loutreuil
Distributed by Universal Pictures (US) (theatrical)
Focus Features (US) (director's cut DVD)
TVA Films(Canada)
Metropolitan Filmexport (France)
United International Pictures (Australia)
StudioCanal (international sales)
Release date(s) France:
31 January 2001
Canada:
1 June 2001
United States:
11 January 2002
Running time 142 minutes
151 minutes (director's cut)
Country France
Language French
Budget $29,000,000
Gross revenue $70,752,904 (worldwide)[1]

Brotherhood of the Wolf is a 2001 French film directed by Christophe Gans, starring Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, Émilie Dequenne and Mark Dacascos, and written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel. Its original French title is Le Pacte des loups, which literally means "the pact of the wolves."

The film is loosely based on the book L'Innocence des loups ("The Innocence of the Wolves"), by the French zoologist Michel Louis, a study about a real-life series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century and the famous legend around the Beast of Gévaudan. Parts of the film were shot at Château de Roquetaillade. Being a historical drama film, it has anachronistic martial arts fight sequences; it also contains elements of erotica, mystery, horror, politics, romance, and fantasy.

This $29 million-budgeted film was an international box office success, grossing over $70 million in worldwide theatrical release.[2] In the United States of America, the film also enjoyed commercial success; Universal Pictures paid $2 million to acquire the film's United States distribution rights[3] and this film went on grossing $11,260,096 in limited theatrical release in the United States, making it the second-highest-grossing French-language film in the United States in the last two decades (this film also did brisk video and DVD sales in the United States).[4]

Contents

Plot

The film begins during the French Revolution with the aged Marquis d'Apcher (Jacques Perrin) as the narrator, writing his memoirs in a castle, while the voices of a mob can be heard from outside. The film flashes back to the mid 1760s when a mysterious beast terrorized the province of Gévaudan and nearby lands.

Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan), a knight and the royal taxidermist of King Louis XV of France, and his Iroquois companion Mani (Dacascos), an Iroquoi, arrive in Gévaudan to capture the beast. Upon arrival, they rescue an aged healer and his daughter from an attack by soldiers. The young and enlightened Thomas, Marquis d'Apcher (Jérémie Renier), befriends them and assists their investigation.

During the course of the film, Fronsac romances Marianne de Morangias (Émilie Dequenne), the daughter of a local count, whose brother, Jean-François (Cassel), was also an avid hunter and a world traveler, before losing one arm to a lion in Africa. Fronsac is also intrigued by Sylvia (Bellucci), an Italian courtesan at the local brothel.

Fronsac is initially skeptical about the beast's existence, since survivors describe it as much larger than any wolf he has ever seen. Through various interactions and attacks, Fronsac discovers a truth that leads him to the beast itself and the secret society that created it.

Cast

French teaser poster

Director's cut DVD

The cover of two-disc director's cut DVD (United States version)

In the United States, Focus Features released a two-disc director's cut DVD of Brotherhood of the Wolf on 26 August 2008. Beside having a longer cut of the film, the DVD also has several extra features: deleted scenes, theatrical trailer, two behind the scenes documentaries (The Guts of the Beast and Documentary), Legend documentary (a documentary that reveals the historical facts about the Beast of Gévaudan), and Storyboards gallery.[5][6]

Critical reception

Brotherhood of The Wolf garnered mostly positive reviews, with a 72% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 113 reviews.[7] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that this film is "entertaining".[8] Michael Atkinson of Village Voice wrote "It's easily the most disarming and inventive movie made for genre geeks in years."[9] Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News wrote that this film is "exciting, alluring and thrilling".[10]

Awards

Won

Nominations

References

  1. ↑ "Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=brotherhoodofthewolf.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2009. 
  2. ↑ Box office / business for Pacte des loups, Le (2001)
  3. ↑ ALISON JAMES, "$30 million 'Adventurer' venture: Gallic helmer Gans goes English for actioner," Variety (14 May 2001).
  4. ↑ "Little pictures have a big year", Los Angeles Times, 3 January 2003.
  5. ↑ The Action-Packed Sensation 'Brotherhood of the Wolf - Director's Cut'
  6. ↑ Brotherhood of the Wolf - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2001)
  7. ↑ "The Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brotherhood_of_the_wolf/. Retrieved 20 December 2009. 
  8. ↑ ROGER EBERT, The Brotherhood Of The Wolf (11 January 2002).
  9. ↑ Michael Atkinson, "Sexy Beasts and Sweet Nothings," The Village Voice (15 January 2002).
  10. ↑ New BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF Trailer!
  11. ↑ 20 Video and Video Game Titles Are Honored with 2003 Home Entertainment Awards; Winners Demonstrate the Diversity of Home Video Entertainment

External links