Le pacte des loups (2001)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Christophe Gans

Writers:

Stéphane Cabel (writer)
Christophe Gans (writer)

Release Date:

25 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | History | Horror | Mystery

Plot:

In 18th century France, the Chevalier de Fronsac and his native American friend Mani are sent by the King to the Gevaudan province to investigate the killings of hundreds by a mysterious beast.

Plot Keywords:

Beast | Native American | Supernatural | Conspiracy | Wolf

Awards:

3 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Samuel Le Bihan	...	Grégoire de Fronsac
Vincent Cassel	...	Jean-François de Morangias
Émilie Dequenne	...	Marianne de Morangias
Monica Bellucci	...	Sylvia
Jérémie Renier	...	Thomas d'Apcher
Mark Dacascos	...	Mani
Jean Yanne	...	Le Comte de Morangias
Jean-François Stévenin	...	Henri Sardis
Jacques Perrin	...	Thomas d'Apcher (old)
Edith Scob	...	Geneviève de Morangias
Johan Leysen	...	Beauterne
Bernard Farcy	...	Laffont
Hans Meyer	...	Marquis d'Apcher
Virginie Darmon	...	La Bavarde
Philippe Nahon	...	Jean Chastel
Eric Prat	...	Capitaine Duhamel
Jean-Loup Wolff	...	Duc de Moncan
Bernard Fresson	...	Mercier
Christian Marc	...	Old Thomas' servany
Karin Kriström	...	Bergère du Rocher
Vincent Cespedes	...	Soldier
Jean-Paul Farré	...	Père Georges
Pierre Lavit	...	Jacques
Michel Puterflam	...	Bishop de Mende
Nicolas Vaude	...	Maxime Des Forêts
Max Delor	...	Old nobleman
Christian Adam	...	Old nobleman
Jean-Pierre Jackson	...	Nobleman at dinner
Nicky Naude	...	La Fêlure
Daniel Herroin	...	Blondin
Gaëlle Cohen	...	La Loutre
Virginie Arnaud	...	La Pintade
Charles Maquignon	...	Valet Bordel
Frankie Pain	...	La Tessier (as Franckie Pain)
Isabelle Le Nouvel	...	Brunette prostitute
Albane Fioretti	...	Prostitute at Teissier
Clarice Plasteig dit Caffou	...	Prostitute at Teissier
Delphine Hivernet	...	Valentine
Juliette Lamboley	...	Cécile
Gaspard Ulliel	...	Louis
Pierre Castagne	...	Cecile's father
Stéphane Pioffet	...	Peasant
Eric Laffitte	...	Villager
Eric Delcourt	...	Aide-camp Beauterne
André Penvern	...	Buffon
Christelle Droy	...	Bergère des collines
Andres Fuentes	...	Peasant who gives directions
Nadine Marcovici	...	Jeanne Roulier
Jean-Claude Braquet	...	Pierre
David Bogino	...	Knife thrower
Emanuel Booz	...	Officer Butcher
François Hadji-Lazaro	...	Machemort
Pascal Laugier	...	Machemort's assistant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Erwan Baynaud
Michel Lataste
Olivier Colat-Parros	...	Hands Fronsac - taxidermy sequence (uncredited)

Directed by
Christophe Gans

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Stéphane Cabel		writer
Christophe Gans		writer

Produced by
Emmanuel Gateau	....	consulting producer
Richard Grandpierre	....	producer
Samuel Hadida	....	producer

Original Music by
Joseph LoDuca

Cinematography by
Dan Laustsen

Film Editing by
Xavier Loutreuil
Sébastien Prangère
David Wu

Casting by
Nathalie Cheron
Brigitte Moidon
Bernard Savin Pascaud

Production Design by
Guy-Claude François

Art Direction by
François Decaux
Thierry François

Set Decoration by
Jacques Aucomte
Denis Bourgier
Catherine Jarrier-Prieur

Costume Design by
Dominique Borg

Makeup Department
Christine Dendeleuf	....	hair stylist
Reynald Desbant	....	hair stylist
Virginie Duranteau	....	hair stylist
Lise Gaillaguet	....	makeup artist
Jean-Max Guérin	....	key hair stylist
Stéphanie Guillon	....	additional makeup artist
Sophie Harvey	....	makeup artist
Marie-Pierre Hattabi	....	hair stylist
Morgan Hildebrand	....	special makeup effects artist
Kameleon	....	special makeup effects artist
Alexis Kinebanyan	....	special makeup effects artist
Delphine Lacaze	....	hair stylist
Didier Lavergne	....	key makeup artist
Isabelle Legay	....	hair stylist
Benoît Lestang	....	special makeup effects artist
Nathalie Louichon	....	makeup artist
Dominique Magnier	....	makeup artist
Mario Messere	....	hair stylist
Gerald Mignotte	....	special makeup effects artist
Frédérique Ney	....	key makeup artist
John Nollet	....	hair stylist: Monica Bellucci
Cécile Pellerin	....	makeup artist
Caroline Philiponnat	....	hair stylist
Myriam Roger	....	hair stylist
Lyda Sanchez	....	hair stylist
Mathieu Thomasin	....	tattoo designer

Production Management
Alain Agostini	....	unit production manager
Claude Albouze	....	production manager
Jean-Louis Bergamini	....	assistant unit manager
Thierry Chuinard	....	unit manager
Anne Ferignac	....	unit manager
Virginia Lombardo	....	unit manager
Franklin Pedrosa	....	unit manager
Julien Pruvot	....	unit manager
Jérôme Servant	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fanny Aubrespin	....	assistant director: second unit
David Campi-Lemaire	....	second assistant director
Cheyenne Corre	....	assistant director
Yann Cuinet	....	assistant director: second unit
William Gereghty	....	second unit director
Jordane LaFourcade	....	assistant director
Thierry Le Roch	....	assistant director
Shaun O'Dell	....	second unit director
Marie Rolindes	....	trainee assistant director: second unit
Lionel Steketee	....	first assistant director
Marc-Antoine Trani	....	third assistant director
Marcus Trani	....	trainee assistant director
Thomas Tréfouel	....	assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Chloé Cambournac	....	assistant production designer
Jacky Hardouin	....	carpenter
Yvan Hart	....	plasterer
Mathieu Lauffray	....	conceptual designer
Olivier Colat-Parros	....	model makeup animal (uncredited)
Olivier Colat-Parros	....	taxidermist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Philippe Amouroux	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nicolas Becker	....	foley artist
Nicolas Becker	....	sound designer
Yannick Boulot	....	sound recordist
Fabrice Conesa	....	sound effects editor (as Fabrice Conesa Alcolea)
Colette Constantini	....	sound editor
Jean De Sagey	....	adr recordist
Francesca Dodd	....	assistant sound editor
Patrick Dodd	....	sound mixer
François Fayard	....	sound editor
Vincent Guillon	....	sound editor
Cyril Holtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Florent Lavallée	....	sound mixer
Jean-Paul Mugel	....	sound
Yves-Marie Omnes	....	boom operator
Richard Partlow	....	foley artist (as Rick Partlow)
Pierre Picq	....	boom operator
Alexis Place	....	sound editor
Leslie Shatz	....	sound mixer
Stéphane Soye	....	boom operator
Pierre Tucat	....	boom operator
Thanos Kazakos	....	additional adr recordist (uncredited)
Ann Scibelli	....	sound designer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Seb Caudron	....	special effects supervisor
Igor Chevalier	....	beast designer
Jamie Courtier	....	animatronic effects
Alain Couty	....	special effects
Richard Darwin	....	animatronic model designer
Georges Demétrau	....	special effects
Sylvian Fabre	....	special effects
Mark Hunter	....	senior animatronics technician
Adrian Parish	....	animatronic designer
Simon Williams	....	animatronic engineer

Visual Effects by
Christopher Anthony	....	visual effects
Jérôme Arthuis	....	grading coodinator: Duboicolor
Philippe Aubry	....	Inferno artist
Christophe Belena	....	scan and conforming technician: Duboicolor
Clare Burgess	....	assistant visual effects editor
Seb Caudron	....	visual effects supervisor
Alex de Heus	....	motion control operator
Gavin Digby	....	digital compositor
Nick Drew	....	visual effects coordinator: Jim Henson's Creature Shop
François Dupuy	....	I/O supervisor
Sylvian Fabre	....	digital artist
Xavier Fourmond	....	digital compositor
Laetitia Gabrielli	....	CG artist
Karen Halliwell	....	creature supervisor
Rip Hampton O'Neil	....	technical director: DuboiColor
Philippe Huberdeau	....	Inferno artist assistant
Abdel Ali Kassou	....	processing: DuboiColor
Stéphane Keller	....	digital matte painter
Tina Lin	....	scan and conforming technician: Duboicolor
Jamie Lochhead	....	digital compositor
Arnaud Mayet	....	lead texture artist
Arnaud Mayet	....	matte painter
Jolene McCaffrey	....	digital compositor: Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Adam McInnes	....	supervising compositor
Sarah Micallef	....	runner: visual effects
Antoine Moulineau	....	CG artist
Jean-René Nébot	....	digital color grader
Jeff Newton	....	digital effects artist
Collette Nunes	....	vfx coordinator: Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Schafer-Davies Oliver	....	digital compositor
Christophe Richard	....	digital artist
Karim Sahai	....	digital compositor: Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Val Wardlaw	....	visual effects supervisor: Henson's Creature Shop
Richenda Wheeler	....	lead animator
Arthur Windus	....	visual effects producer: Henson's Creature Shop
Alex Wuttke	....	visual effects
Roma O'Connor	....	head of production (uncredited)

Stunts
Frédéric Alhinho	....	stunts
Virginie Arnaud	....	stunts
Joëlle Baland	....	stunt double: horse stunts
Joseph Beddelem	....	stunts
Didier Biddar	....	stunts
Patrice Boutroux	....	stunt double: horse stunts
Vincent Cespedes	....	stunt double: Soldier
Ken Chung	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Gaëlle Cohen	....	stunts
Jérôme Colas	....	stunts
Patrice Cossoneau	....	stunt double: horse stunts
Hugues Dalmagro	....	stunt double: horse stunts
Thierry Delhilf	....	stunt double: Soldier
Gil Demurger	....	stunt coordinator
Jean-Jacques Desplanque	....	stunt double
Richard Dieux	....	stunt coordinator
Pascale Dinizani	....	stunt double (as Pascale Denizane)
Alain Figlarz	....	stunts
Jérôme Gaspard	....	stunt double
Jean Gouello	....	stunt double: horse stunts (as Jean Gouillo)
Thierry Guerrib	....	stunt double: Soldier
Cyrille Hertel	....	stunt double: Soldier
Karim Hocini	....	stunt double: Soldier
Emmanuel Lanzi	....	stunt double: Soldier
Mario Luraschi	....	stunt double: horse stunts
Pascal Madeira	....	stunt double: horse stunts
Alberto Martello	....	stunts
Pascal Mercuri	....	stunt double (as Pascal Mercury)
Alexis Ngo	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Stéphane Orsolani	....	stunt double: Soldier
Cyril Raffaelli	....	stunts
Leslie Rain	....	stunt double: horse stunts (as Leslie Rain-Goranson)
Catherine Robert	....	stunt double
Thierry Saelens	....	stunt double
Olivier Schneider	....	stunt double
Michaël Troude	....	stunts
Frédéric Vallée	....	stunts
Frédéric Vallet	....	stunts
Jacky Yeung	....	stunt coordinator (as Yueng Tak Ngai)
Sébastien Peres	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Boris Abaza	....	additional assistant camera
Pierre Abraham	....	chief electrician
Lionel Bailly	....	electrician
Hamia Benyekkou	....	electrician
Eric Bialas	....	Steadicam operator: second unit
Serge Bouali	....	electrician
Vincent Buron	....	first assistant camera
David Campbell	....	crane operator: Technocrane
Eric Caro	....	still photographer
Claire Caroff	....	focus puller
Pascal Clément	....	electrician
Maxime Cointe	....	assistant camera
Alain Dondin	....	electrician
Roland Dondin	....	electrician
Jean-François Drigeard	....	electrician
Hugues Espinasse	....	clapper loader
Denis Garnier	....	clapper loader
Pierre Garnier	....	grip
Michel Gonckel	....	chief electrician
Rodolphe Gonckel	....	electrician (as Rudolph Gonckel)
Alain Herpe	....	assistant camera
Philippe Houdart	....	camera operator
Malek Krimed	....	video assistant
Pierre-Yves Le Mée	....	grip
Pascal Lombardo	....	electrician
Fabrice Mignot	....	electrician
Steve Moreau	....	second assistant camera
David Nissen	....	first assistant camera
Shaun O'Dell	....	director of photography: second unit
Stéphane Paillard	....	assistant camera
Benjamin Speyer	....	crane technician grip
Michel Strasser	....	grip
Jean-Pierre Supe	....	first assistant camera
Valerio Villalba	....	focus puller: second unit
Jean-Pierre Voisin	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chantal Glasman	....	costumer
Jean-Daniel Vuillermoz	....	costumer assistant

Editorial Department
Lionel Cassan	....	assistant editor
Yvan Lucas	....	color timer
Jean-René Nébot	....	digital color timer
Christophe Pinel	....	assistant editor
Carlos Pinto	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Scott Davidson	....	assistant music editor
Jedd Harr	....	conductor
Joseph LoDuca	....	conductor
Randall Monday	....	music editor
Randall Monday	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Vincent Servant	....	driver: cast
Olivier Suffert	....	driver: Christophe Gans

Other crew
Sandra Benhamou	....	production secretary
Cheyenne Corre	....	personal assistant
Caroline Gautier	....	production secretary
Piers Hampton	....	project producer: Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Penny Hayler	....	runner: Jim Henson's Creature Shop: animatronic shoot
Philip Kwok	....	fight choreographer
Thierry Le Portier	....	wolves trainer
Virginia Lombardo	....	assistant location manager
Colette Martin	....	production accountant
Pierre Selinger	....	legal services
Claudine Strasser	....	script supervisor
Valentine Traclet	....	script supervisor
Thierry Valletoux	....	reportage

Thanks
Michael Cooper	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Canal+
• Davis-Films
• Eskwad
• Natexis Banques Populaires Images
• Studio Image Soficas
• TF1 Films Production

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2002) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Egmont Film Distributors (2001) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films AB (2001) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Egmont Entertainment (2001) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Intercontinental Film Distributors (HK) (2002) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Pathé Distribution (2001) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• 01 Distribuzione
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (video)
• Alfa Films (Argentina)
• Barton Films (Spain) (Basque Country)
• Egmont Entertainment (2002) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)
• Europa Filmes (Brazil) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
• Focus Features (2008) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut)
• GAGA Communications
• Helkon Filmverleih GmbH (Germany)
• Humax Pictures
• Metropolitan Filmexport (France)
• Nordisk Film (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Optimum Releasing (2007) (UK) (DVD) (HD DVD)
• Prooptiki (Greece)
• Sociedad General de Derechos Audiovisuales (SOGEDASA) (Spain)
• SubTV (2004) (Finland) (TV)
• TVA International (Canada) (subtitled)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Duboi
• Duran Duboi
• Jim Henson's Creature Shop
• Snow Business International (snow effects)

Other Companies

• Duran Duboi  digital intermediate
• Jim Henson's Creature Shop  animatronic characters

Also Known As:

Brotherhood of the Wolf (Canada: English title) (USA)
Lupus dei - Le pacte des loups (France) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and gore, and sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

142 min | 152 min (director's cut)

Country:

France

Language:

French | German | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:R (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Château de Roquetaillade, Mazères, Gironde, France

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

Apparently in the belief that no one outside France has any sense of history, the translators writing subtitles omitted a historical reference in old d'Apcher's memoir. The subtitles read, "The Revolution has swept the land," but in French he says, "The Revolution has become the Terror" (this may have been changed in some DVD versions).

Goofs:

Continuity: When de Fronsac gets out of bed after the nightmare and walks to the window, while hearing the band, he lacks the scars on his chest. Both the bear and arrow scars.

Quotes:

Thomas d'Apcher: And you, Mani? Which one will you choose?
Gregoire De Fronsac: Mani doesn't use firearms.
Mani: Too much noise, too much smoke, bad smell.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Doctor Who Confidential: Fear Factor (#2.2)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Once

"Like a lion I will devour your children and tear out their entrails."

I am very much in awe of this movie. Brotherhood of the Wolf encompasses every genre of film; martial arts, action, romance, thriller, horror, drama, everything. Keeping with the spirit of all these genres, it invokes many emotions from the viewer. A beast is terrorizing the countryside of Gevaudan and the villagers believe no man or bullet can put it down. Enter the ultimate Jack of all Trades, Grégoire de Fronsac, and his brother-in-arms, Mani, who have come to town to stop/capture this menacing beast. The story starts here and has so many twists and turns it could make your head spin. The cast is incredible. I have no idea who this Samuel Le Bihan guy is, but he absolutely rocks it as Fronsac. This also has potential to be a breakout role for Mark Dacascos but we'll have to wait and see on that one. Even if he doesn't make it beyond the B action flick, Mani will always be an unforgettable character. And Vincent Cassel is incredibly suave and creepy at the same time. Brotherhood is an absolutely beautiful example of what film can look like. The cinematography combined with the editing makes for some truly fantastic scenes. Let's not forget the fight choreography. There are some tremendous fight sequences that rival those from Hong Kong cinema. Some movies become great because they have that one moment that will forever live on in your memory; Moments that are undoubtedly awesome. Brotherhood of the Wolf is simply just one big moment. Other than the films by Luc Besson, I've never really been a follower of French cinema. But with the coming of this movie and the equally dark and beautiful Crimson Rivers I could get into it.