Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002) Christophe Gans   Directed by Christophe Gans, Brotherhood of the Wolf is an odd yet captivating film which blends a number of different styles and genres. The setting is in the remote countryside of 18th-century France, where the hero Gregoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan), veteran of the French-Indian war in America, is sent to investigate attacks by a strange wolf-like beast. Accompanying him is his loyal friend Mina (Mark Dacascos), a Native American warrior and last survivor of a tribe wiped out in the wars. Fronsac's endeavors, however, are handicapped by meddlesome locals (who may know more about what is going on that they admit) as well as political edicts from close to the crown itself. Further distracting Fronsac is his blossoming romance with the local squire's daughter Marianne (Emilie Dequenne). Fabulously well-acted, the story is a complex, even bizarre brew of intrigue, paganism, romance, horror thrills, and fight scenes. The style of the film is likewise bizarre. Mina engages in hand-to-hand combat with local gypsies, with fighting techniques which look conspicuously like Asian martial arts (causing one to ask exactly where an American Iroquois learned to fight this way). Fronsac, meanwhile, finds an ally in the form of a local prostitute who likes cutting him with knives when they are in the boudoir together. The film is beautifully photographed by Dan Lusten, who lends a nice, "buttery" look to the candlelit interiors. The editing, however, is often goofy, and uses the Matrix gimmick of mixing fast and slow-motion within a single shot. The "beast" of the film, when finally glimpsed, looks perfectly convincing close-up (where it is an animatronic creation of Jim Henson's Creature Shop). In long-shot, however, it rarely proves convincing. The score by Joseph Lo Duca (Xena: Warrior Princess) is a percussive ethno-New Age effort, largely electronic but effective, nonetheless. The DVD comes with the option of watching the movie with English dubbing or the original French dialog. Some interesting supplements are provided too, most notably deleted scenes (each prefaced with commentary from the director) as well as the theatrical trailer and some production notes. For all its strange brew, Brotherhood of the Wolf never fails to hold one's interest. Although its disparate mix of elements seems, at times, random and disconnected, it is full of unexpected twists and turns. The mood of the film is seductive and expressionistic, keeping you on the edge of your seat for most of its two and a half hour duration. —Paul Andrew MacLean

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