Le pacte des loups (2001)

Director:

Christophe Gans

Writers:

Stéphane Cabel (adaptation) &
Christophe Gans (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

31 January 2001 (France)

Genre:

Action | History | Horror | Mystery

Plot:

In 18th century France, the Chevalier de Fronsac and his native American friend Mani are sent by the King to the Gevaudan province to investigate the killings of hundreds by a mysterious beast.

Plot Keywords:

Beast | Conspiracy | Native American | Mysterious Beast | Supernatural

Awards:

3 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Samuel Le Bihan	...	Grégoire de Fronsac
Vincent Cassel	...	Jean-François de Morangias
Émilie Dequenne	...	Marianne de Morangias
Monica Bellucci	...	Sylvia
Jérémie Renier	...	Thomas d'Apcher
Mark Dacascos	...	Mani
Jean Yanne	...	Le Comte de Morangias
Jean-François Stévenin	...	Henri Sardis
Jacques Perrin	...	Thomas d'Apcher (old)
Edith Scob	...	Geneviève de Morangias
Johan Leysen	...	Beauterne
Bernard Farcy	...	Laffont
Hans Meyer	...	Marquis d'Apcher
Virginie Darmon	...	La Bavarde
Philippe Nahon	...	Jean Chastel

Also Known As:

Brotherhood of the Wolf (Canada: English title) (USA)
Lupus dei - Le pacte des loups (France) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and gore, and sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

142 min | 152 min (director's cut)

Country:

France

Language:

French | German | Italian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:R (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Château de Roquetaillade, Mazères, Gironde, France

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

All the primary characters, except the Native American Mani, actually existed and lived during reign of King Louis XV.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Grégoire is shown using pumpkins for target practice, the pumpkins shatter and splash an opaque orange fluid. Pumpkins do not contain such fluid inside them.

Quotes:

Sylvia: Do you know how Florentine women ensure their husbands come home? Every morning they slip him a slow poison, and every evening the antidote. That way, when the husband spends the night away, he has a very bad night.
Gregoire De Fronsac: You needn't resort to that.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in The Brothers Grimm (2005)

Soundtrack:

Once

An extravagant B-movie from France with all the right matinee-adventure ingredients.

This is a grandiose monster movie from France that delivers the perfect blend of slick style and unsophisticated, gothic melodrama to make it one of the most appealing film fantasies in a long while. The international success of the film is not hard to understand; it's exhilarating in the same way that the old Hammer horror films were in their heyday. Everything about this elaborate movie is terrifically tacky, particularly the stunning production design. It's like seeing those artless, wilderness paintings containing hidden animal images come to life. The characters come off as if they were lifted right off of some garish paperback romance-novel cover. Best of all, the film has some nifty flourishes of sex and violence sadly missing from the current spate of half-baked, PG-13 Hollywood product. While some seem to be complaining of one martial-arts fight too many, faulty creature effects or simple-minded plotting; in this case, it's like bitching about KING KONG being over the top. This is a contemporary B-movie (albeit an expensive, subtitled one) for those who appreciate a good time at the movies. It delivers the kind of satisfaction audiences used to get seeing the work of Mario Bava or Ray Harryhausen; and that's saying a lot!