While most studio products more and more tend to resemble one another, a blast of B-movie originality like Brotherhood of the Wolf is most welcome.
The Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002)
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Reviews Counted:113
Fresh:81
Rotten:32
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: Brotherhood of the Wolf mixes its genres with little logic, but the end result is wildly entertaining.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence and gore, and sexuality/nudity
Runtime: 2 hrs 31 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Theatrical Release:Jan 11, 2002 Limited
Box Office: $10,793,478
Synopsis:
Inspired by actual events taking place during the reign of King Louis XV, The Brotherhood of the Wolf revisits one of the rare French myths, that of the "Beast of Gevaudan" which killed a number of...
Inspired by actual events taking place during the reign of King Louis XV, The Brotherhood of the Wolf revisits one of the rare French myths, that of the "Beast of Gevaudan" which killed a number of persons before being vanquished under mysterious circumstances.
For two years, the monstrous Beast had been terrorizing the region of Gevaudan, attacking mostly women and children. It is said to be colossal size and dragon-like and often rumored of being the devil. All of France was shaken by these inexplicable killings.
Delegated by the Royal Court, Gregoire de Fronsac arrives in Gevaudan one autumn night. His mission is to find the Beast and to eventually destroy it during a hunt. Strong, spirited, and rational, the young noble horseman is accompanied by the taciturn Mani, a Mohawk Indian that he met in New France during the Seven Years War. The two are housed at the home of old Marquis D'Apcher's, whose grandson, Thomas, serves as their guide.
During a dinner given in his honor, Fronsac meets Mariane De Morangias along with her brother Jean-Francois, members of the most influential family in the region. A traveler as well, Jean-Francois lost an arm during a great African hunt.
While the Beast's attacks multiply as winter arrives, Fronsac is met with animosity from the more influential people of the region. His interest for Marianne increases, but his liaison with Sylvia, a beautiful but troubled prostitute, doesn't help matters. The King, unhappy with the lack of progress during the numerous hunts, dispatches his own lieutenant, Antoine de Beauterne, to the region. No sooner does he arrive to Gevaudan, than he captures a wolf, claiming falsely that he has killed the Beast. Under the order of the King, Fronsac is forced to participate in this pretense before being allowed to return to Paris.
Braving the King's mandate not to return to Gevaudan, the horseman decides to respond to Thomas D'Apcher plea to organize one last hunt. This time, Mani will head the hunt, using ancient Shaman techniques. Nothing will prepare then for what they discover. -- © 2001 Universal Pictures
Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Monica Bellucci, Jérémie Rénier
Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Monica Bellucci, Jérémie Rénier, Emilie Dequenne, Vincent Cassel, Jean Yanne, Eric Prat, Jacques Perrin, Johan Leysen, Bernard Farcy, Jean-François Stévenin
Director: Christophe Gans
Director: Christophe Gans
Screenwriter: Stephane Cabel, Christophe Gans
Producer: Samuel Hadida, Richard Grandpierre
Composer: Joseph Lo Duca
Studio: Universal Pictures
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Reviews for The Brotherhood of the Wolf
This mega dose of foley drama turns out to be nothing more than stinky cheese.
A mad agglomeration of styles and traditions that ultimately results in nothing so much as a mad agglomeration of styles and traditions.
Gans appears to have no threshold of pain when it comes to his eardrums.
With this grisly popcorn movie, we're reminded of the heavy-handed contributions that some U.S. blockbusters are making to global culture.
A tremendously fun, epic, kitchen-sink of genres that just avoids getting too silly or predictable.
Its flashiness and eventual, ludicrous plot developments ultimately undermine what could have been a good picture.
Gans splices genres without shame and makes a grand effort at proving that the French can make big, boneheaded, mass-market action flicks, too.
Brotherhood of the Wolf is, for me, the most enjoyable piece of blow-the-pipes kitsch since last summer's The Fast and the Furious.
Gourmet Brie on a baguette -- empty calories, and certainly a guilty pleasure, but what a delicious diversion.
With a few too many twists (and a lengthy running time), Wolf eventually loses its bite... and with it, your attention.
It thrills in an elusive way, it sometimes astonishes, and it eventually generates waves of derisive laughter. But it's never boring.
Gans takes his tales seriously -- good news for viewers, who will be spellbound by his lavish sets, cinematic settings and heart-stopping action.
I would be lying if I did not admit that this is all, in its absurd and overheated way, entertaining.
While all of the actors were right-on and completely in the skins of their characters, it is the loving friendship and true partnership between Fronsac and Mani that makes the most lasting impression.
...a glitzy, gorgeous, stylistically flamboyant adventure spun around an at times absurd plot with mystical flourishes.
Brotherhood is loaded with inflated metaphors and generic clichés, but it does deliver great action and it does wrestle with ideas, some of them rather ugly.
Latest News for The Brotherhood of the Wolf
April 12, 2006:
"Silent Hill" Inspired by a (Real) Creepy Town?
IGN FilmForce continues to dole out some great pre-release coverage for Silent Hill, the based-on-a-video game horror flick from Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf) and... More...
February 07, 2006:
Trailer Bulletin: Silent Hill
We brought you a slick teaser the last time out, but there's a new trailer for Christophe Gans' "Silent Hill," and since your host (me) is a shameless horror geek, he... More...
December 14, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Silent Hill
From the director of "Brotherhood of the Wolf" and the writer of "The Rules of Attraction," (two criminally underrated flicks in my book) comes the horror... More...
April 25, 2005:
Radha Mitchell to Climb the "Silent Hill" for TriStar Pictures
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