Movie Review: BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002)–***1/2
All to often the portrayal of cryptozoological legends on film results in a cheesy B-movie about Bigfoot that does nothing to explore any real life enigma. In Christophe Gans film, Brotherhood of the Wolf, the French director falls for the opposite. While exploring the legend of the Beast of Gevaudan, Brotherhood of the Wolf turns out to be a better plot-heavy mystery than the action flick it proclaims itself to be.
Between 1764 and 1767 nearly 100 French citizens in and around the town of Gevaudan fell prey to a mysterious wolf-like creature simply called the Beast. King Louie XV of France, whose nation has the rumbling of a revolution, sends naturalist Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel La Bihan) and his Native American companion Mani (Mark Dacascos) to investigate the vicious monster. After a failed large-scale hunt and scores of new murders, a French military commander is put in charge of the search. Fronsac is left out until the commander forces him to construct a monster from a dead wolf carcass, thus giving the French public a bogus sense of relief. Unsettled, Fronsac and Mani go in search of the real Beast only to discover a broad conspiracy against the King in the holiest of places.
It’s hard to imagine a film starring out with a pointless fight scene turning into a tightly wound mystery with more action in its screenplay than its stars, but Brotherhood of the Wolfmiraculously pulls it off. Writers Stephane Cabel and Christophe Gans don’t leave the essentials of an action movie behind with gratuitous battles and tacky action hero lines. Their focus on an amazingly packed screenplay, however, turns attention from the simple fight choreography to a fictionalized investigation of an overlooked French legend.
While the screenplay does develop into a thrilling adventure tale, one flaw can be found in its length. The 2 hour and 22 minute movie becomes dull at points. Usually this occurs during the needlessly drawn out fight sequences. These little interruptions in the generally unyielding plot aren’t half as harmful as they could have be to a lesser-scripted film, but disruptions make the “action” scenes feel oddly boring.
Now, the captivating mystery behind the Beast does tend to take the forefront in Brotherhood of the Wolf, but director Christophe Gans never forgets the film is also a period drama. While the examination of French revolutionist politics obviously influences the plot, the film doesn’t preclude itself from delving into other aspects of 18th century France such as prostitution, colonization, and religious ignorance. Beautiful art direction and fabulous costume designs complete an extravagant vision of a growing state of peril.
With a comparatively low budget, Brotherhood of the Wolf not only boasts superior costume design but also glorious visual effects. Though most of the Beast scenes are done by playing off of its Predator-like mystic, the actual action with a computer-generated Beast rivals most Hollywood productions. An attack scene in farmhouse, I swear, was only designed to show off what a filmmaker can generate with only $25 million dollars. Anyway you look at it, however, the Beast was a fantastic dose eye candy.
As far as acting is concerned, one performer can be easily singled out above the rest of the cast. Relative newcomer Emilie Dequenne is striking as Fronsac’s love interest. Her dramatic portrayal of a romantic young woman deprived of liberation only by her class values is compelling and powerful. Dequeene’s significant presence in her supporting role undoubtedly ensures a tremendous future in film worldwide.
While Dequeene’s performance resonates throughout the film, Mark Dacascos’ role as the silent warrior Mani remains a dominant background presence. His strongest emotions are exposed early on in the film during the atrocious wolf genocide, but the martial arts star of films like Double Dragon gives his finest performance to date.
It’s not as if Brotherhood of the Wolf wasn’t a decent action film. The amount of focus on plot, however, is not something every action movie has but should. A vicious but extravagant period piece, Brotherhood of the Wolf is definitely a film worth biting into.
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