Brotherhood of the Wolf pulls its inspirations and influences from a wide net.  There are horror elements, period piece elements and kung fu elements.  There are costumes and visual effects.  There are tough men and lovely ladies.  Okay, you know that I know those usually go hand-in-hand, because I live that, but you get the point.  Ultimately, I love this hard to summarize film.

Eighteenth French city of Gevaudan is ravaged by a monster, the Beast.  This creature of unknown origin kills at will and the King’s soldiers can do nothing to stop it.  That is the true story the film circles around.  Naturalist Gregoire de Fronsac arrives with his partner Mani (literally the last of the Mohicans) in tow.  He’s been sent to Gevaudan by King’s order to handle the manner of the Beast.  Upon arrival, known ladies man Gregoire is immediately smitten by the beautiful Mariame de Morangies.  Her brother, Jean Francois, is a bit territorial and plays his handicap to his advantage -- Jean Francois lost an arm while hunting overseas.  The story seems simple enough, but as the layers are pulled back, viewers learn that a conspiracy against the King’s reign lay at the heart of it all.

Samuel Le Bihan brings the complex character of Gregoire de Fronsac to the screen admirably.  You believe he is an intellectual and sly ladies man, but when the need to kick ass arises, Bihan meets the challenge.  I cannot say enough about Mark Dacascos’ (The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Iron Chef America) portrayal of Mani.  His screen presence is palpable, his eyes are dynamic and his fighting is unparalleled.  Vincent Cassel (Ocean’s Twelve, Eastern Promises) ratchets up the creepy factor with his take on Jean Francois de Morangies, especially in his relationship with his sister.  The film balances between two lovely, polar opposite ladies: Emilie Duquenne’s virginal Mariame and Monica Belucci’s (Shoot ‘Em Up, The Matrix Reloaded) prostitute Sylvia.  As with any literary work, both characters have more depth than a simple summation can attribute (and I daren’t ruin the character of Sylvia for first time viewers).

Christophe Gans certainly knows how to shoot a fight sequence.  He proves this early on as Mani takes on a gang of soldiers in the rain.  When you watch the special features, you get to see just how kick ass the scene is.  In the extended fight, Gregoire also leaps to action.  On top of that, Gans fulfills the need to add the French landscape as a character to the film.  The editor is equally adept in the transition between visual moments like when a beautiful nude body because an equally picturesque landscape.  From art direction through costumes and cinematography, this film is a true visual feast.

As a purist, I believe the film should be viewed in French with subtitles for those (like me) who don’t speak the language.  However, because I like you, I also watched the movie with the English language track.  It still works, though some characters inexplicably become English proper.

AUDIO/VIDEO/EXTRAS

The film is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen.  Both French and English language tracks are available in 5.1 with optional English, English for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, Spanish and French subtitles.

Disc One
Deleted Scenes -- five scenes that were edited out for pacing or character inconsistencies with introduction from director Christophe Gans and often his reasoning afterwards as to why the clip didn't make the film.  The clips and interview footage are in French with English subtitles.  Two words -- extended fight.

Theatrical Trailer

Disc Two
The Guts of the Beast -- The seven chapters (with Play All functionality) Genesis, Casting, Artistic Direction, The Fight Scenes, The Beast, Digital Effects and Epilogue last almost eighty minutes.   The creative forces (Christophe Gans, writer, producer Samuel Hadida) behind the film speak about it (in French with English subtitles).  Gans is refreshingly honest and unapologetic.  They are then joined by others appropriate to each section.  Cast that appear in the Casting segment: Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Cassell and Monica Belucci.

Documentary -- The Making of The Brotherhood of the Wolf-- The documentary is split into thirteen chapters, lasts almost eighty minutes and follows the six month shoot.  From the onset, you learn that the making of the film wasn't always an easy process. The focus is on a few shots and sequences, but also marks the film's arrival at Cannes.  Thankfully, you periodically get Mark Dacascos speaking in English.

Legend -- naturalist Michel Louis speaks on the subject of the Beast of Gevaudan for seventeen and a half minutes.  The film was reportedly based on his book.  He speaks of the existence of the beast, but the lack of a real conspiratorial sect behind it.

Storyboards -- broken down into twelve sequences with Play All functionality.  The storyboards are clearly drawn and give a solid impression of the action that would later be lensed during production.

Subtitles -- English for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, Spanish and French

All in all, Disc two has another two films worth of features that, I believe, were previously only available as imports.

FINAL WORDS

Wow.  I saw this film in the theaters and only wish I had the home entertainment system that could live up to the DVD. 

Director Christophe Gans set out to make a genre film.  In the end, he tackled multiple genres and each successfully.  Beautiful and stylistic, Brotherhood of the Wolf is a welcome addition to any fans of period piece kung-fu thrillers or any fraction thereof.  Be warned, the combination may throw some closed-minded viewers for a loop. 

Final Grade – A