Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

Original title

Le Pacte des loups

Directed by

Christophe Gans

Genre

drama film, science fiction film, adventure film, martial arts film, monster film, thriller film

Country

France

Runtime

2h 17m

Rated

R

Rating

6.7 of 10 from 1,748 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In 18th century France, a chevalier and his Iroquois companion investigate a series of brutal killings blamed on a mysterious beast. They uncover a conspiracy involving local nobility and the church while battling the creature with martial arts and firearms.

atmospherictensevisually lushdarkly comicgorymelodramaticadventurousbroodingperiod piece

What happens

Brotherhood of the Wolf (French: Le Pacte des loups) is a 2001 French period action horror film directed by Christophe Gans, co-written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel, and starring Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Émilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel. The story takes place in 18th-century France, where the Chevalier de Fronsac and Mani, an Iroquois man, are sent to investigate the mysterious slaughter of hundreds by an unknown creature in the county of Gévaudan. The plot is loosely based on a real-life series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century and the famous legend of the beast of Gévaudan; parts of the film were shot at Château de Roquetaillade. The film has several extended swashbuckling fight scenes, with martial arts performances by the cast mixed in, making it unusual for a historical drama. The special effects for the creature are a combination of computer generated imagery, as well as puppetry and animatronics designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The film received generally positive critical reviews, highlighting its high production values, cinematography, performances and Gans's atmospheric direction. At a $29 million budget, it was a commercial success, grossing over $70 million in worldwide theatrical release. The film also became the sixth-highest-grossing French-language film of all time in the United States, and it also became one of the biggest international successes for French-language films. The film's 4K restored "Director's Cut" version premiered in the Official Selection of 2022 Cannes Film Festival. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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