Brotherhood of the Wolf (French: Le Pacte des loups) is a 2001 French fantasy horror film directed by Christophe Gans, written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel, starring Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Emilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel.
This film is loosely based on a real-life series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century and the famous legend around the Beast of Gévaudan. Parts of the film were shot at Château de Roquetaillade.
This $29 million-budgeted film was an international box office success, grossing over $70 million in worldwide theatrical release. Universal Pictures paid $2 million to acquire the US rights and the film went on grossing $11,260,096 in limited theatrical, making it the second highest-grossing French-language film in the United States since 1980.
Reviews:
“The one thing you don’t want to do is take this movie seriously. Because it’s so good-looking, there may be a temptation to think it wants to be high-toned, but no: Its heart is in the horror-monster-sex-fantasy-special effects tradition. “The Beast has a master,” Fronsac says. “I want him.” That’s the spirit.” Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
“The densely layered style of the film creates a kind of resonant substance, approximating the cultural and psychological minutiae of human existence. Even if those details are only loosely connected to the plot, they create an illusion of authenticity in a film world that is, in truth, highly artificial.”Dan Mancini, DVD Verdict
