Le Pacte des Loups Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Le Pacte des Loups Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 1, 2008

A stylish period piece with enough kicks and screams to awake the neighbors, Gallic helmer Christophe Gans’ “Le Pacte de loups” a.k.a. ”Brotherhood of the Wolf” (2001) aims high, and it certainly delivers. Suspense, action and a splash of horror are blended into an attractive mix of strong, if occasionally slightly overdone, visuals meant to arouse as well as entertain. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Looking for the beast

A small village somewhere in Central France. A large, wolf-like creature referred to as "the Beast of Gévaudan" is blamed for a string of brutal killings. No one has seen it -- the few who have gone looking for it have lost their lives. The locals are puzzled, angered, and terrified.

Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan, Vénus beauté institut, Mesrine Parts 1 & 2 - Killer Instinct / Public Enemy Number 1), a naturalist with a soft spot for literature, and his friend Mani (Mark Dacascos, Crying Freeman), a quiet kung-fu expert of American-Indian origin, arrive in the village and begin to track down the beast's trail. Fronsac does not believe that the beast exists and looks for a logical explanation for the gruesome killings. Mani hardly ever speaks so for a long period of time it is unclear what goes on his head.

While trying to gather as much information as possible, Fronsac and Mani are introduced to a local dignitary (Vincent Cassel, La Haine, Our Day Will Come), his sister (Emilie Dequenne, Rosetta, The Girl on the Train), and eventually a mysterious beauty (Monica Bellucci, Malena, Irreversible), who no one really knows well enough. Soon, the two men find themselves entangled in a web of strange myths and political intrigues where nothing is what it seems and no one can be trusted.

Inspired by a true story about a creature that ravished the French countryside during Louis XV's era, Christophe Gans’ Brotherhood of the Wolf is an epic blockbuster Hollywood would have paid big bucks to have produced on this side of the Atlantic. It is brilliantly written, terrifically acted, and impressively lensed. It packs action, mystery, and romance in a fantastic, truly original tale of friendship, courage, and survival. In other words, it is the type of film every studio would love to have in the middle of the summer.

Brotherhood of the Wolf is also an excellent period film with terrific costumes, lavish decors, and spectacular locations (the finale is indeed breathtaking) that create the kind of environment we truly do not get to experience in our theaters anymore. Frankly, there is enough in it to please everyone -- mind-blowing action scenes, great suspense, a good dose of tastefully done erotica, and even a bit of old-fashioned romance.

Technically, Brotherhood of the Wolf dazzles. Not because it is a groundbreaking film that redefines the action/adventure genre, but because it is a fine example of how to shoot a film that would appeal to children and adults -- by approaching its subject with a degree of concentration and seriousness allowing one to borrow from different genres without falling victim to old clichés.

Two versions of the film have been released on DVD, and now Blu-ray -- Theatrical Version and Director’s Cut. In various markets around the world, the Director’s Cut of the film is often referred to as the International Cut. The Theatrical Version of the film runs at approximately 139 minutes and omits several scenes, the more important ones involving Bellucci’s character, Sylvia. The Director’s Cut of the film runs at approximately 151 minutes and has all of the omitted scenes added to key sequences throughout the film. (Currently, the only Blu-ray release with the Director’s Cut of the film is the one French distributors Studio Canal produced in 2008).

*In 2002, Brotherhood of the Wolf won Cesar Award for Best Costume Design (Dominique Borg).

Le Pacte des Loups Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.33:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Brotherhood of the Wolf makes its debut on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Studio Canal. Having undergone a fair share of controversy via its Canadian (TVA Films) and U.S. (Universal Pictures) DVD releases, Christophe Gans' stylish action-adventure tale certainly looks much more convincing in high-definition. Detail is strong, allowing for much more depth, particularly during scenes that proved to be quite problematic on the DVD releases (there are two in particular that did not sit well with me at all; the first is the dinner meeting, where the dignitaries discuss the beast, and the second is the final cave fight, where artifacts were incredibly strong).

On the Blu-ray disc produced by Studio Canal a lot of the issues that were obvious on previous DVD releases appear to be a non-factor. Furthermore, I am happy to report that the 1080p transfer reveals lack of strongdigital alterations as film grain is mostly intact. Also, there is a very strong color definition which allows for the presence of that specific "popping" look many aficionados appear to be infatuated with. I did not spot any purely transfer-specific anomalies either. Finally, the basics here are very much in sync with what I see on my French LE edition DVD release, only better looking. Indeed, currently this is the best presentation of Brotherhood of the Wolf. For the record, even though the back cover of the Blu-ray disc indicates a running time of 2h30, Studio Canal have included the Director's Cut of the film, which runs at approximately 153 minutes.

Note: I was asked to comment whether I believe that the film is likely to get a better SE treatment down the road. Frankly, depending on how fast the Blu-ray market grows in France, I think that it is likely. Brotherhood of the Wolf received plenty of rereleases on DVD for the French market, so I would assume that at some point a new, supervised by Christophe Gans, edition will probably be released (there are plenty of supplemental materials that could be added as well). What does this mean to you: absolutely nothing. Given the excellent price this Blu-ray disc carries, as well as the strong audio-video treatment it offers, I believe that you should onsider upgrading your DVDs now. (Note: Please keep in mind that this is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray, which you will not be able to play on your Region-A PS3s or SAs).

Le Pacte des Loups Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Whatever compromises you had to endure with the SDVD releases of Brotherhood of the Wolf, this Blu-ray disc certainly addresses them in a convincing fashion. Presented with a French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, Christophe Gans' film sounds terrific! In fact, the audio here is of near reference quality – the sound is incredibly potent, tight, and expertly mixed. There are scenes I am convinced a lot of you are familiar with where the sound is actually too good (the breathing of the monster for example in the opening scenes sounds absolutely amazing, while the first action sequence in the rain where Marc Dacascos unleashes some of his marquee moves is translated by the speakers with such a punchy oomph that I had to immediately do some adjustments to my audio system). The bass in particular is very impressive. It is deep, loud, and at times overly consuming of everything else you should be hearing. The rear channels are just as active, enhancing some of the earlier mentioned action scenes with Matrix-style effects. Indeed, as far as the audio treatment is concerned this is a show-off disc, which fans of Brotherhood of the Wolf will be ecstatic to have in their personal collections.

Le Pacte des Loups Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, there aren't any supplemental materials on this disc.

Le Pacte des Loups Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For better or worse, Christophe Gans' Brotherhood of the Wolf has been one of the most widely embraced French films to reach North American shores in recent years. And its impressive visual style certainly has a lot to do with it. It must be noted, however, that this is a film with far more substance than what we are typically offered by Hollywood producers come summer time. There is a sense of finesse here (and no, not because this is a foreign film) that recent domestic big-budget blockbuster productions have not been able to capture. Studio Canal's Blu-ray presentation of Brotherhood of the Wolf is of very high quality which I am certain will meet the demands of those who were never truly satisfied with past DVD releases of the film.