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Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte des loups)(Blu-ray Review)

Studio Canal | 2001 | 153 mins | Unrated | Sep 23, 2008

Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte des loups) Blu-ray Review

A stylish period piece with enough kicks and screams to awake the neighbors Gallic helmer Christophe Gans?揕e Pacte de loups?a.k.a 擝rotherhood 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 to entertain.

A small village somewhere in Central France. A large, wolf-like, creature referred to as 搕he Beast of G関audan?is blamed for a string of brutal killings. No one has seen it, those who have attempted to have lost their lives. The locals are puzzled, angered, and terrified.

Gr間oire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan, V閚us beaut?institut), 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 at the village and begin to track down the beast抯 trail. Fronsac does not believe that there is actually a beast and looks for a logical explanation for the gruesome killings. Mani hardly even speaks so for a long period of time we are unsure what really goes on in his head.

As the investigation begins Fronsac is introduced to a local dignitary (Vincent Cassel, La Haine), his sister (Emilie Dequenne, Rosetta), and eventually a mysterious beauty (Monica Bellucci, Malena) who no one really knows well enough, not even the men who share her bed. Fronsac and Mani are soon entangled into a web of myths and political intrigues where nothing and no one can be trusted.

Video



Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with VC-1, and granted a 1080p transfer Brotherhood of the Wolf makes its debut on Blu-ray courtesy of French distribs Studio Canal. Having undergone a fair share of controversy via its Canadian (TVA Films) and US (Universal Pictures) SDVD 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 SDVD releases (there are two in particular that did not sit well with me at all, the first one is the dinner meeting where the dignitaries discuss the beast and the second one 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 DNR alterations as film grain is perfectly intact. Also, there is a very strong color definition which allows for the presence of that specific 損opping?look many aficionados appear to be infatuated with. I did not spot any disturbing issues with the actual quality of the print either ?it is clean, free of specks and debris, and proficiently transferred to Blu-ray. Finally, the basics here are very much in sync with what I see on my French LE edition SDVD, only better looking. Indeed, I don抰 believe that Brotherhood of the Wolf has looked any better. For the record: even though the back cover of the Blu-ray disc indicates a running time of 2h30 Studio Canal have actually included the the Director's Cut running at approximately 153 minutes.

This being said, I was asked to comment whether or not I believe that this 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 it is. Brotherhood of the Wolf received plenty of rereleases on SDVD 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 currently comes with as well as the terrific audio-video treatment it offers I believe that you should seriously consider upgrading your DVD version. (Note: Please keep in mind that this is a Region-B "locked" BD that you will not be able to view on your Region-A PS3 or SA).

Audio



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 treatment here is of near reference quality ?it 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 granting 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.

Final Words



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 during 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抯 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.