Subject: Review: Pacte des loups, Le (2001)

From: Robin Clifford <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 18:33:06 -0000

"Brotherhood of the Wolf"

Between 1765 and 1768, in a remote, rugged part of France, a mysterious
creature, dubbed the Beast of Gevaudan, savaged the countryside killing
over 100 people, mostly women and children. Seen as an affront to his
absolute authority, King Louis XV sent the best hunters to destroy the
monster only to fail. Helmer/co writer Christophe Gans uses this legend as
a starting point for a tale of love, politics and religious fervor in
"Brotherhood of the Wolf."

A young scientist, recently returned from New France with his Iroquois
Indian companion, is sent by the king to use his naturalist skills to kill
the beast that has wreaked such deadly havoc on his subjects. Gregoire de
Fronsac (Samuel le Bihan) and Mani (Mark Dacascos) arrive on the heels of
the latest brutality by the Beast and it is up to them to discover the true
nature of this seemingly supernatural creature that can kill so
indiscriminately. But, the locals, led by aristocratic Jean Francois
(Vincent Cassel) and the clergy, harbor a dark, sinister secret and Fronsac
and Mani face staggering odds to their own survival.

Christophe Gans, with the story he co-scripted with Stephane Cabel, has
created a beautifully crafted artwork that invents its own viewpoint of the
events that transpired over two centuries ago. The based-on-legend tale
begins on a stunning note as Fronsac and Mani come upon and old man and his
daughter being beaten by a mob for witchcraft. Mani, played by martial arts
champion Dacascos (TV's "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven"), proceeds to kick
ass and take names in a thrilling one-man battle as he defeats all comers.
The images of the fight, shot with crystal clarity by lenser Dan Laustsen,
flow between real-time and slow motion as the Native American warrior and
medicine man uses his staff to stop the mob's nefarious plans.

The story doesn't try to sustain the energetic tempo of the start but does
keep a brisk pace (not an easy task in a 140 minute film) throughout. Gans
is directing a large ensemble cast, with many principle players, in an
effects extravaganza and he mostly succeeds. There are a few too many
threads to the tapestry of tales in "Brotherhood of the Wolf" and some are
not as focused and developed as others, something that would be fixed by a
bit of judicious editing. This is the main problem with "Brotherhood" and
does keep the film from attained the overall excellence that the technical
details warrant.

Praise must be ladled out liberally for the outstanding technical credits
in "Brotherhood of the Wolf. The brilliantly innovative photography by Dan
Laustsen is captivating in its color palate, clarity and, in some scenes,
beautiful works of art that could hang in the Museum of Fine Arts. Sound
effects (by Leslie Shatz, Patrick Dodd, Nicolas Becker and Fabrice Conesa
Alcolea) have a hyper-clarity that matches up perfectly to the photography.
The Beast F/X are provided by Jim Henson's Creatures Shop and are an
amalgam of a snarling, slathering wolf-like creature that sure would put
terror into the hearts of the local peasants. The score, by Joseph Lo Duca,
is enjoyably dominated by the dulcet tones of a dulcimer. Fight
choreography, by Hong Kong import Philip Kwok, is outstanding to watch -
even if the angry mob always attacks the good guy one man at a time. (Why
is it that the mob never seems to realize that, if they all rush the hero
at once, he can't kill them all?)

Samuel le Bihan and Mark Dacascos, as Fronsac and Mani, are King Louie's
version of the Green Hornet and Kato and the actors command the screen. Le
Bihan comes across perfectly as the young, but extremely intelligent,
educated and capable scientist who eschews the supernatural myth about the
Beast. Dacascos, throughout the film, provides a fluidity of movement and
quiet dignity to his role as the fighting shaman. The actor holds a
presence on the screen with little need to voice himself, especially when
he can make his point quite markedly with his hands and feet. The rest of
the large cast to their jobs well, overall. Monica Bellucci ("Malena") is
gorgeous as Gevaudan's premier courtesan and Fronsac's seductress. Emilie
Dequenne gives a new millennial spin to her role as the spoiled, but quite
able, rich kid who falls for Fronsac (and vice versa). The only false note
in the casting is Vincent Cassel as the dark, brooding, secretive one-armed
Jean Françoise, which is too bad as this character is quite significant to
the story.

The combination of monster tale (the influence of "Jaws" and "Predator" are
obvious), great techs, solid performances, cool F/X and an assured hand at
the helm make "Brotherhood of the Wolf" a must see film on the big screen.
The shortcomings keep it from being a great flick but there is still plenty
going for it. I give it a B+.

For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com

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X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 278600
X-RT-TitleID: 1111814
X-RT-SourceID: 386
X-RT-AuthorID: 1488
X-RT-RatingText: B+