Post by Silver on Jan 7, 2008 14:53:30 GMT -5
French film released in 2001. Based (loosley) off of the tale of the Beast of Gevaudon (1764-1767)
From The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters by Rosemary Ellen Guiley (see write up under Non-fiction books):
"Werewolf terror in the Gevaudan region of south-central France.
From July 1764 to June 1967, a pair of large and unusually coloured man-eating wolves attacked and killed 60-100 people or more in Gevaudan, causing a wide-scale panic. Many feared the killings to be the work of a single wolf; others believed the creature to be a tiger or hyena, or the offspring of a tiger and lioness. Still others believed the Beast (La Bete) to be a werewolf. ...
King Louis XV took a personal interest in the situation, for the panic could have political ramifications. ... Huge bounties were posted for the killing of the Beast. Teams of professional wolf-hunters and dogs fanned into the forests. Several detachments of dragoons joined the hunt as well. At the height of the panic, more than 20,000 joined the hunt in several parishes. More than 1,000 wolves reportedly were killed. ...
The Beast eluded all efforts. In one week in June 1765 alone, four people were killed and eaten... One girl was recognized only by her eyes.
The peasants became convinced that the Beast was a werewolf sorcerer, and would never be caught. One farmer claimed that he had seen it and heard it speak.
The terror finally came to an end when the male wolf was killed on September 21, 1766, and the female of the pair was killed in June 1767.
The wolves may have been dog-wolf crosses. They were eceptionally large for wolves, and they unusual colourations and markings."
imdb.com/title/tt0237534/ --> IMDB Link: Brotherhood fo the Wolf
Debuted in France to enthusiastic reviews, but not so well recieved in America. A long movie, slow-paced, but interesting -- the subtitles for English viewers are rather long-winded, but worthwhile if you can stay awake.
In this movie, Chevalier Grégoire de Fronsac, a young nobleman and naturalist (Samuel La Bihan) along with his native assistant (and friend) Mani (Mark Dacascos) are hired by Louis XV to take care of this Beast that is harrying the masses.
Fronsac becomes involved with two women, one the daughter of a nobleman, the other a prostitute he visits, ripe with intrigue and political knowledge.
Mistrust and danger abounds, and the action is well played, if the martial-arts angle of Mani in France is a little hard to swallow at first.
Shan't ruin the end, but I must say it was a bit of a disappointment -- but, if you're in the mood for a bit of French culture and period setting, it is worth a look.
From The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters by Rosemary Ellen Guiley (see write up under Non-fiction books):
"Werewolf terror in the Gevaudan region of south-central France.
From July 1764 to June 1967, a pair of large and unusually coloured man-eating wolves attacked and killed 60-100 people or more in Gevaudan, causing a wide-scale panic. Many feared the killings to be the work of a single wolf; others believed the creature to be a tiger or hyena, or the offspring of a tiger and lioness. Still others believed the Beast (La Bete) to be a werewolf. ...
King Louis XV took a personal interest in the situation, for the panic could have political ramifications. ... Huge bounties were posted for the killing of the Beast. Teams of professional wolf-hunters and dogs fanned into the forests. Several detachments of dragoons joined the hunt as well. At the height of the panic, more than 20,000 joined the hunt in several parishes. More than 1,000 wolves reportedly were killed. ...
The Beast eluded all efforts. In one week in June 1765 alone, four people were killed and eaten... One girl was recognized only by her eyes.
The peasants became convinced that the Beast was a werewolf sorcerer, and would never be caught. One farmer claimed that he had seen it and heard it speak.
The terror finally came to an end when the male wolf was killed on September 21, 1766, and the female of the pair was killed in June 1767.
The wolves may have been dog-wolf crosses. They were eceptionally large for wolves, and they unusual colourations and markings."
imdb.com/title/tt0237534/ --> IMDB Link: Brotherhood fo the Wolf
Debuted in France to enthusiastic reviews, but not so well recieved in America. A long movie, slow-paced, but interesting -- the subtitles for English viewers are rather long-winded, but worthwhile if you can stay awake.
In this movie, Chevalier Grégoire de Fronsac, a young nobleman and naturalist (Samuel La Bihan) along with his native assistant (and friend) Mani (Mark Dacascos) are hired by Louis XV to take care of this Beast that is harrying the masses.
Fronsac becomes involved with two women, one the daughter of a nobleman, the other a prostitute he visits, ripe with intrigue and political knowledge.
Mistrust and danger abounds, and the action is well played, if the martial-arts angle of Mani in France is a little hard to swallow at first.
Shan't ruin the end, but I must say it was a bit of a disappointment -- but, if you're in the mood for a bit of French culture and period setting, it is worth a look.