The Company of Wolves
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Movie Reviews of The Company of Wolves
Movie Review: What a Great Company It Is
Summary: 4 Stars
In his book about WEREWOLVES (review below), author Bob Curran makes favorable mention of this film--and with good reason. In a way THE COMPANY OF WOLVES reminds me of the 1940's B&W classic CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE. Following the success of CAT PEOPLE, European born producer Val Lewton was pressured by his Hollywood counterparts into making a sequel to that film. This was the age of the mega-monsters & sequels were the rage (Son of Frankenstein, etc.) Lewton caved in--and the resulting movie is now a cult classic. It is even more finally crafted & absorbing than the original.
THE COMPANY OF WOLVES is a brilliant synthesis of the European fables & folklore concerning the grisly lycanthrope. Vignettes of various horrific tales of werewolves are woven around the familiar of Little Red Riding Hood, with many entertaining twists & takes on the legend. The art direction is wonderfully surrealistic & pleasing to the eye.
My favorite story concerns an outdoor wedding reception hosted by pre-Revolutionary French aristocrats. They are seated around a table inside a pavilion. Stacks of delectable food & wine are placed all around, and the people who aren't engaged in snooty conversation, are stuffing their faces like--pigs. The many servants & waiters are all bowing & scraping while they serve their masters, yet behind the frozen half-smiles lurks contempt & disgust for the supercilious party-goers.
Then suddenly, amidst the gluttonous orgy, a beautiful, obviously pregnant country woman intrudes on the scene. She castigates the assembly for their haughtiness & phony airs--and then drops a bombshell by announcing that the father of her baby is the groom. She starts laughing at them as they begin to morph into werewolves, and not just "common" werewolves, but poodle-like werewolves! Only the servants are spared and they are obviously delighted at the turn of events. In a final scene the country woman--a witch--sits in the top branches of a tree, laughing in the moonlight night.
PS. I haven't a clue why this movie was originally given an "R" rating.
Chill-out, the consummate actress Angela Lansbury plays Grandma!
I would give it a PG 10 & up.
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Movie Review: Angela Carter's genius
Summary: 4 Stars
Movie goers these days may be coming to their senses, suffering month after month the same cookie cutter plots, characters, CGI, *s*t*a*r*s* appearing over and over like a familiar pickpocket or scam artist at the intersection. I don't want to mention any names but one in particular moves like concrete through the recent Terminator clone. Really, how many more scenes of robot feet crushing human skulls can one sit through?
Producers take no risks these days and certainly would never risk the sort of exotic and arabesque excursions into dark human themes that make a movie like THE COMPANY OF WOLVES. The immortal Angela Carter originated the story and collaborated on the movie adaptation, retelling the folktale of Little Red Riding Hood, bringing up from the blood depths as only she could the predatory nature of human sexuality, and the link of myth to our animal origins. It's a remarkable movie contrasting the plaster construct of societal rules against the organic thrust of existence in all its violence. Her characters move carefully, subdued to stifled whispers, cowed by the unfettered nature that howls all about them, that swallows them whole. The performances of David Warner, Angela Lansbury and Stephen Rea as a young brides-groom going with the wolves in a full moon before he can consummate his marriage, haunt the montage with an understated sense of doom. The jungle forest where the wolves run wild and free is littered with dolls and toys. The very streams seem to run with the blood of fresh kill. The colors do that to you, fill your mind with the smell of rapacious abandon. You can feel the sensation. Not bad for a B movie. Not bad at all. I congratulate the lot. If you ever get the chance, find Angela's book SAINTS AND STRANGERS and read the similar story, "Peter and the Wolf." She wrote wonderfully in her life. Her loss to us by cancer is incalculable.
Despite the occasional clumsy special effect, THE COMPANY OF WOLVES works quite well and is a welcome change of scenery from the usual formulaic dreck of recent years. This dvd version is in widescreen and not quite for the little ones. Rated R. It's one to see over and over again.
Movie Review: Fine Company
Summary: 4 Stars
After Neil Jordan's violent debut "Angel", a gritty and modern tale of revenge and retribution few were prepared for the Irishman's second feature "The Company of Wolves", a phantasmagorical fairy-tale which played with the tropes of the horror genre and explored (not un-subtly) Freudian psychoanalysis. The film was originally released in 1984, which was not a very good time at all for the horror genre in Britain, which is perhaps why Jordan self-consciously interrogated some of the suppositions the genre is based upon. Jordan took as his inspiration the work of feminist writer Angela Carter, whose short story forms the basis of the film. Jordan was himself a writer, prior to his directorial debut, and perhaps this aids the fidelity of the adaptation. Although Jordan changes a few things, the thematic concerns of Carter's tale remain. The combination of the Werewolf sub-genre (made popular in the early 1980's due to "The Howling" and "An American Werewolf in London") which in itself has fairy tale roots meshes beautifully with the wonderfully realised dream world that forms the locus of the action. British horror had never looked so visually arresting, and in the past films had often fallen by their inadequate make up and special effects; not so here. Like most fairytales the conclusion is cautionary, and the message conservative. This is a film of dreams and nightmares and pubescent fantasy, one which is further complicated by challenges to reality. Horror fans might be a little put off by the self-conscious psychoanalytic aggrandisement on offer here, but patient audiences will be well compensated by some excellent special effects, and fine performances, and one of the quirkiest and most offbeat additions to the Werewolf sub-genre.Movie Review: As You're Pretty, So Be Wise.....
Summary: 4 Stars
I saw The Company of Wolves with my best friend Bryan when we were both thirteen, and I must confess, we both left the theater totally perplexed. What the hell did we just see? With almost twenty years more maturity under my belt, and having seen (And loved!) most of Director Neil Jordan's films, I decided to give "Company" another try...It's still a deeply challenging film. The story is basically a fever-dream committed to film. Rosaleen is a young girl on the cusp of becoming a young woman. Her dreams place her in a fairy-tale land where her older sister has strayed from the path and been killed by a pack of wolves. Rosaleen's Granny (The excellent Angela Lansbury) tries to teach her about the ways of wolves (and men...), but will Rosaleen listen? Her burgeoning sexuality is about to lead her off the path, and into the arms of a big bad wolf....
The film is absolutely drenched in rich symbolism and deep parables that resonate strongly in this day of seemingly commonplace child abductions. As Rosaleen's family strives to keep her safe, they must also deal with her desire to forge her own path in life. Director Neil Jordan has crafted a film that rewards multiple viewings, adapting Angela Carter's stories to great effect. The colors are simply gorgeous to look at, and the sets and effects are staggeringly effective. The performances are marvelously understated, and Terrence Stamp steals the show in an all-too-brief cameo. Sarah Patterson plays young Rosaleen, and does a great job. Her recitation of the closing quotation is superbly chilling.
The disc comes with a photo gallery, promo reel, and trailer. Highly recommended for horror fans who are sick of screaming teens running from knife-wielding maniacs....
Movie Review: More of an Art Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
The Company of Wolves is a gothic take on the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. As my title suggests, it's more of an art movie than Horror which is the genre it is filed under in movie stores. While this movie certainly isn't for children, it's not scary at all. There are two transformation scenes that are breathtaking (more so the first which is pretty close to the beginning) and the directing is wonderful. The stories contained within are told fabulously. But there are still several problems. The biggest complaint that I have is that the ending made no sense. The second complaint is that though the side fairy tales are great, they aren't very relevant to the story and act as distractions to extend the movie and make the movie seem to contain more of a plot. Take away these stories and there isn't mush substance to the main story which is the one that you paid to watch in the first place. These two things aside, this movie is rather entertaining and beautiful. This movie is by no means scary, it's simply artistic. If you like art films and werewolf films, then this movie is definitely for you. If not and you're looking for a horror film, skip this.