And a very spectacular one it is! Le Pacte des Loups' (which somehow was inaccurately translated into Brotherhood of the Wolf' in English-speaking countries) is, without a doubt, the most multi-genre movie ever made. A mix of the period costume, horror, thriller, Film Noir, martial arts, action, historic, erotic and romance genres. You would think that such a movie would be too awkward and too heavy a blend, a clumsy collage'. It certainly is ambitious; it combines elements from The Matrix', Sleepy Hollow', Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', and several other films. But it turns out to be a successful masterpiece of the French cinema, the second pleasant French surprise this year, after the much-acclaimed `Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain ». The plot is loosely based on a real mystery that took place in 18th century France; the Beast of the Gévaudan used to terrorize the population by killing the women and children (but not the men!). This myth had never been solved, and director Christophe Gans decided to give this mystery a completely new dimension.
The plot takes place in 1766, in Gévaudan, where the King dispatches two men, the Knight Grégoire de Fronsac and his blood' brother Mani, a Mohawk from New France (Canada), to track down the Beast and ultimately kill it. Little did the two companions know that their mission would also involve a Papal conspiracy, religious fanaticism, bigotry, and even love.
Many mercenaries are sent to Gévaudan to catch the Beast, but it is not until the last few minutes of the movie that you find out the astonishing truth (not to worry, the latter will not be revealed in this review!).
The cast is real eye candy and the characters stand out: there is the naturalist and libertine Knight of Fronsac (played by Samuel Le Bihan), Mani, a mysterious Mohawk who doesn't say much but turns out to be a Shaman and a Martial Artist (played by renowned actor and Martial Artist Mark Dacascos), Jean-François de Morangias (Vincent Cassel), a bitter and cynical one-armed gunman, his virginal but witty sister Marianne (Emilie Dequenne, Cannes prizewinner for Rosetta'), Sylvia (Monica Bellucci, Under Suspicion'), a dangerous and captivating tarot-reading Italian courtesan, and the list goes on. Yes indeed, there are two strong female roles featured in this movie; though they're completely opposite, they are in love with the same man.
The movie is visually stunning. The outside scenery is an ideal Gothic setting: damp landscapes with much fog and a hostile atmosphere, as opposed to the rich indoors, with its vivid colors, expensive fabrics, and luscious entertainment. The costumes were spectacular, too. Watch out for a highly imaginative scene, where a nude woman dissolves into' two mountains.
The music was composed by Joseph Lo Duca (yes, that same guy who did the scores of the series Xena' and Hercules'); it certainly has an effective presence in the film, and succeeds in bringing out the suspense and drama. The sound effects are sometimes exaggerated but they add character to the overall atmosphere.
Christophe Gans does, however, get carried away sometimes with Matrix-like shots which interrupt action scenes with slow motion and freeze frames. He does it too many times in the movie. But the fight scenes themselves were not bad, as Mark Dacascos has already proven his martial arts qualifications in Crying Freeman. Naturally, many might criticize the movie because the fight scenes involve kung fu and kickboxing instead of the expected muskets and French savate. Even the tribe of savage French peasants who were hostile to the two newcomers from the start seem to be well trained in these disciplines. Odd, but somehow that doesn't seem out of context, in a movie that blends so many genres with such dexterity.
Another objection the audience might have would be: why are there little sub-plots which start out fine but never end? One example of that is a mutual, platonic relationship between Mani and a savage tribe girl. She is his only female interest in the movie yet their story is never explored. But I shouldn't spoil the movie for you, so enough of that!
Finally, a few words about The Beast itself. It is not like any other monster you've seen: it looks like a werewolf disguised as a porcupine, it has claws of iron and it has the power to disappear at will, which makes the chase scenes very suspenseful. Fortunately, we do not see much of it, and it always appears out of nowhere, which makes it hard for audience to predict where it would attack from.
Le Pacte des Loups or Brotherhood of the Wolf' (if you insist) is certainly one of the most expensive French productions ever made. Go see it; fortunately, it is not dubbed but has subtitles, but make sure you watch the long version (144 minutes); you wouldn't want to miss one second of this atmospheric masterpiece, and take my word for it, you will not find one second boring.
The plot takes place in 1766, in Gévaudan, where the King dispatches two men, the Knight Grégoire de Fronsac and his blood' brother Mani, a Mohawk from New France (Canada), to track down the Beast and ultimately kill it. Little did the two companions know that their mission would also involve a Papal conspiracy, religious fanaticism, bigotry, and even love.
Many mercenaries are sent to Gévaudan to catch the Beast, but it is not until the last few minutes of the movie that you find out the astonishing truth (not to worry, the latter will not be revealed in this review!).
The cast is real eye candy and the characters stand out: there is the naturalist and libertine Knight of Fronsac (played by Samuel Le Bihan), Mani, a mysterious Mohawk who doesn't say much but turns out to be a Shaman and a Martial Artist (played by renowned actor and Martial Artist Mark Dacascos), Jean-François de Morangias (Vincent Cassel), a bitter and cynical one-armed gunman, his virginal but witty sister Marianne (Emilie Dequenne, Cannes prizewinner for Rosetta'), Sylvia (Monica Bellucci, Under Suspicion'), a dangerous and captivating tarot-reading Italian courtesan, and the list goes on. Yes indeed, there are two strong female roles featured in this movie; though they're completely opposite, they are in love with the same man.
The movie is visually stunning. The outside scenery is an ideal Gothic setting: damp landscapes with much fog and a hostile atmosphere, as opposed to the rich indoors, with its vivid colors, expensive fabrics, and luscious entertainment. The costumes were spectacular, too. Watch out for a highly imaginative scene, where a nude woman dissolves into' two mountains.
The music was composed by Joseph Lo Duca (yes, that same guy who did the scores of the series Xena' and Hercules'); it certainly has an effective presence in the film, and succeeds in bringing out the suspense and drama. The sound effects are sometimes exaggerated but they add character to the overall atmosphere.
Christophe Gans does, however, get carried away sometimes with Matrix-like shots which interrupt action scenes with slow motion and freeze frames. He does it too many times in the movie. But the fight scenes themselves were not bad, as Mark Dacascos has already proven his martial arts qualifications in Crying Freeman. Naturally, many might criticize the movie because the fight scenes involve kung fu and kickboxing instead of the expected muskets and French savate. Even the tribe of savage French peasants who were hostile to the two newcomers from the start seem to be well trained in these disciplines. Odd, but somehow that doesn't seem out of context, in a movie that blends so many genres with such dexterity.
Another objection the audience might have would be: why are there little sub-plots which start out fine but never end? One example of that is a mutual, platonic relationship between Mani and a savage tribe girl. She is his only female interest in the movie yet their story is never explored. But I shouldn't spoil the movie for you, so enough of that!
Finally, a few words about The Beast itself. It is not like any other monster you've seen: it looks like a werewolf disguised as a porcupine, it has claws of iron and it has the power to disappear at will, which makes the chase scenes very suspenseful. Fortunately, we do not see much of it, and it always appears out of nowhere, which makes it hard for audience to predict where it would attack from.
Le Pacte des Loups or Brotherhood of the Wolf' (if you insist) is certainly one of the most expensive French productions ever made. Go see it; fortunately, it is not dubbed but has subtitles, but make sure you watch the long version (144 minutes); you wouldn't want to miss one second of this atmospheric masterpiece, and take my word for it, you will not find one second boring.