Stars:
Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Cassel, Emelie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci, Jereme Rener,
and Mark Dacascos
Writers:
Stephane Cabel and Christophe Gans
Director:
Christophe Gans
Feature
length: 2 hours and 24 minutes
Extras:
Deleted Scenes, Cast and Filmmaker Bios, Production Notes, Theatrical Trailer
Languages:
English and French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and English and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 20
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2001/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
A
beast has been savagely mutilating people along the countryside of Gevaudan,
France in the late 18th Century. People believe it to be a creature
sent to punish the citizens of France because the King has forsaken the
“advice” of the Pope in favor of this new era of reason. Returning from
Canada with a shaman like associate whose tribe was the victim of what could be
described as biological colonial genocide, the two men are immediately drawn
into a web of political and religious intrigue as the set out to hunt what
appears to be an unearthly creature, but just because one cannot identify it
does not mean that reasoning can conceive it so.
“Brotherhood Of The Wolf” AKA “Le Pacte Des Loups” is a visually stunning motion picture that is epic in scale with imagery that is reminiscent of such contemporary American motion pictures as “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and “Sleepy Hollow” as well as the gothic look of the classic Hammer motion pictures. In fact I could not help but find myself being reminded of Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow” a lot while watching this film, but unlike much of Burton’s work, the impressive visuals do not upstage the acting or story. The film also has a graphic novel quality to it as well. “Brotherhood Of The Wolf” succeeds in nearly every way though a few events in the final act appear a bit rushed and might confuse a viewer so it is important to pay attention to the details because this is not a movie one can just passively watch and then walk away from and return without possibly losing an important story or character point. The good news though is that I doubt anyone is going to have problem watching this film even with it’s 2 hours and 24 minutes of running time because once it starts I was glued and two hours and 24 minutes flew by faster than some 90 minute features I have seen.
The live actions effects courtesy of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop are state of the art, but the CGI is somewhat less so. Fortunately it is used sparingly and in such a way that it actually adds to the otherworldly quality of the mysterious beast. Joseph Lo Duca, who has scored much if not all of Sam Raimi’s feature film and television programs, does a fantastic job with the music here. The choreography of the action sequences are also well thought out so that it somehow seems natural and does not detract from the suspension of disbelief.
Universal Home Entertainment’s American DVD release of “Brotherhood Of The Wolf” features a stunning anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer that has a very film like quality and is both colorful when the scenes need it to be and appropriately muted when it should be so as well. An English Language Dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack as well as the original French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack are provided here so for those who hate to read subtitles or those who hate to watch a film in a dubbed language can rest easy and enjoy the film knowing Universal has got you covered. The English Dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is quite nice and the dubbing does not seem unnatural. A DTS Digital Theatrical Surround Soundtrack would have been excellent, but given the length of the motion picture and the high quality of both the picture and sound mixes, I think viewers will be more than satisfied with the presentation of the feature as is. English Language Captions for the hearing impaired are included along with English and Spanish Language Subtitles encoded on to the dual layered DVD as options.
Extra features include a 40-minute reel of deleted scenes with videotaped introductions by the Director. These scenes and the introductions are presented in French Language Stereo with optional English and Spanish Language Subtitles. The scenes were left out for cases of continuity and pacing, but the director states that he is currently working on an extended version of the film with some of the scenes reinserted complete with a new sound mix to cover and create the a more cohesive extended edition for some future DVD release. It is not clear if this will ever be made available in America so do not forsake seeing this film because you think there is going to be something else down the road because that may not ever be the case. Cast and Director biographies and credits and some short on screen production notes and the widescreen American (2.35:1) theatrical trailer complete with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound wrap up the extra features included on this DVD release.
The main menu features some full motion scenes and the subsequent menus are standard interactive still frames and all are easy to navigate. A 47-second home video trailer for “The Bourne Identity” starring Matt Damon precedes the motion picture.
“Brotherhood Of The Wolf” AKA “Le Pacte Des Loups” is a true gem and a must see-DVD when it debuts on Tuesday, October 1, 2002 from Universal Home Entertainment.
© Copyright 2002
By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.