Framed by sequences set in Revolution-era Paris, BROTHERHOOD is set primarily in the French village of Gevaudan in 1765. Acclaimed naturalist (and former soldier) Gregoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan) has come here at the behest of King Louis XV to investigate a series of brutal killings perpetrated mainly on women and children by what seems to be a huge and fearsome beast. A wolf is suspected, but de Fronsac and his Iroquois friend Mani (Mark Dacascos) find this doubtful. In addition to the danger posed by their mysterious prey, the duo also find themselves caught up in intrigue with the local nobles, sinister doings in the town and competition with another representative of the king, to say nothing of some bizarre happenings that seem to be connected to a powerful organization outside the royal court.
The cinematography Samuel Le Bihan (Gregoire) and Monica Bellucci (Sylvia) star in BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF © Universal Studiosby Dan Laustsen, the production design by Claude Albouze and the costume design by Dominique Borg are all awe-inspiring most of BROTHERHOOD is beautiful enough to command optical scrutiny from start to finish. Director Christophe Gans, who co-wrote the screenplay with Stephane Cabel, knows he is onto something rich and sumptuous, and he shows it off magnificently in camera terms, but he's on a slippery slope with the tone. Le Bihan has grave charisma as an actor, making de Fronsac both admirable and likable, while Dacascos as Mani has an appealing presence and fabulous agility. The supporting cast, which includes the excellent Vincent Cassel as a wily aristocrat, Emilie Dequenne as his spirited sister and Monica Bellucci as a sultry prostitute who's suspiciously well-informed, are all very much on their game and enjoyable to watch.
Where BROTHERHOOD arguably goes awry (the film is a massive hit in France, so plenty of people don't seem bothered by this) is both in the way it plays mix-and-match with somber social problems (class, ethnic and religious intolerance, the battle between politics and knowledge) and flights of fancy, and in its dogged insistence that nothing supernatural is happening, when in fact the solution to the mystery (not to mention a few crucial steps in the plot) relies on a whole series of linked revelations that cannot occur in the real world. Based on what we know and even what we are shown during the film about the nature of the killings, the resolution is a cheat, and by the time we reach it, the tale has taken a few too many melodramatic turns for its own good. It doesn't help that the moments of human inspiration, while present, are doled out sparingly, leaving us with long stretches of characters acting like archetypes.
Selective conviction in storytelling can work fine it's a staple of comedies and even eventual tearjerkers like MOULIN ROUGE but the more unlikely the tale, the more fervently its makers need to believe in it. Gans and Co. practically knock down the fourth wall in places, while still wanting their dramatic resonance and their Hong Kong kicks and their gonzo plot engine to co-exist without coming up with a world view that harmoniously accommodates all of these. The results are energetic and beautiful but sometimes hilariously fragmented.
Reviewed Format: Theatrical Release | ||
Rated: R | ||
Stars: Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Cassel, Mark Dacascos, Emilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci | ||
Writers: Stephane Cabel, adaptation by Stephane Cabel and Christophe Gans | ||
Director: Christophe Gans | ||
Distributor: Universal | ||
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