Le Pacte des Loups (2001)

 

French films often get a bad wrap for being just talking heads, but if you dig a little deeper, you will find some very exciting cinema. You just need to know where to look. A good start would be this film, as it has quite an explosive mix of history, horror, martial arts and mystery. 

And it is all the more glorious because of it.

Based on historical events, as well. And sure, they give a fictional spin on the story to be sure, but the mystery still remains to this day. 

During the 1700s, there was a period of several years in the French region of Gévaudan where about 100 people were slaughtered by some beast. This installed a grip of fear on the area and no one seemed to be able to find the animal responsible for the slew of deaths. So into our story ride Gregoire de Fronsac and his blood brother Mani, an Iroquois. They are sent to the region to try and find out what exactly is going on and if possible capture and slay the beast, so it can be mounted for the king. 

They are welcomed by the Marquis d'Apcher and his enthusiastic son and begin their investigation. They meet up with the de Morangias' family and the daughter instantly grabs the attention of de Fronsac, but it is the brother (Jean-François) who is intriguing. A fairly volatile character, Jean-François is still an avid hunter, even after the loss of his right arm thanks to an attack while he was in Africa. Meanwhile, the killings continue, but de Fronsac discovers that contrary to belief, this is no wolf that is doing all this. The bite marks don't fit and the descriptions of the few survivors all point toward something monstrous. 

Meanwhile Mani is intrigued by a gipsy girl who apparently can't speak and who suffers from epileptic seizures, which is why others call her a witch. But there is also a band of 'wild men' she hangs out with, who wear furs and bizarre, claw-shaped weapons. The plot thickens even more when a mysterious woman appears in the local brothel who knows more than she reveals. 

Verbally, I mean. Monica Bellucci reveals quite a lot as this character. But seeing as it is Monica Bellucci, something tells me few people will complain about this. 

Because de Fronsac doesn't come up with results fast enough, the King sends a total prick who just shoots a random wolf and instructs de Fronsac to create a beast, just to appease the king and then leave the area to its own devices. But de Fronsac and Mani return when his love interest, Marianne de Morangias, asks him to return. They discover something sinister and when Mani is killed, nothing will stop de Fronsac from having his vengeance...

There's a lot to take in here, but let's just start by saying that this is one slick looking film. The cinematography is gorgeous, helped immensely by the landscape: forests and hills, often laced with mist and rain. It makes you want to visit the area, if you're up for that sort of thing. The story is clever and the dialogue is snappy, with all the trimmings of a period piece. Some of the editing can be a little choppy, especially during some fight sequences. This is a shame, because when you have a martial artist like Mark Dacascos playing Mani, you can surely show his prowess in more detail. But like the slow motion at times, these are stylistic choices. It could have been a bit better in this respect, but it is minor.

The main actors are great. Mark Dacascos is wonderful as the quiet badass Mani, and Monica Bellucci plays her part as a mysterious woman to a T. Samuel Le Bihan is also pretty darn good as our hero Grégoire and he is one of the cast that feels the most natural. Maybe he plays it a little too 'modern' at times, but that's okay. 

But who really steals the show is Vincent Cassel. True, there are scenes where he overacts a little, but the guy is a showstealer anyway. Fun fact: at first he didn't want to play this part, unless he could use some of his suggestions for Jean-François. One of those was to incorporate an incest angle with his sister... Well, it makes for some interesting choices, to be sure. But he does give it his all, which is excellent. 

The only part that truly is a little weak, is the 'dénouement'. (yes, I purposely chose to use the French term here) In the end, it all boils down to some conspiracy and it feels a bit underwhelming after everything that has happened before, especially since they just introduce that angle about halfway. But everything else is intriguing and engaging and just a whole lot of fun. 

If you want something a little different, give it a try.