Monday, April 6, 2009

The Company of Wolves(1984)


This movie is a favourite of mine because it is so different to a lot of werewolf movies I have seen. It is more like a horrific fairy-tale with the Big Bad Wolf and Grandma in the form of Angela Lansbury.It is directed by Neil Jordan and based on a short story written by Angela Carter. This tale begins in modern time with a young girl called Rosaleen(Sarah Patterson) who is dreaming. Her dream shows that she lives in a forest with her parents and her sister(Georgia Slowe). Her sister gets killed by wolves and Rosaleen goes to live with her grandma(Lansbury) who makes a bright red cape for her granddaughter to wear. Grandma has some tales of warning for her young granddaughter. She warns her never to trust a man whose eyebrows meet in the middle.Rosaleen goes back to her grieving parents but she has to put up with a local boy trying to come on to her. They take a walk in the woods and they discover that the cows have all been killed by a wolf. The villagers go out and hunt the wolf and kill it. It transforms back into a human when it is dead.Rosaleen heads back to her grandma with her little basket when she meets an attractive young man(Micha Bergese). He tells her that he can race her to her grandma's house. They race and he arrives there first and eats her grandma. Then, Rosaleen arrives later and she sees what has happened. The stranger is sitting in grandma's chair and Rosaleen asks him what has happened. He tells her that her grandma just went outside, but Rosaleen sees her glasses and notices her grandma's hair burning int he fire. She tries to kill him, but she fails. She kisses him, but then she tries to kill him again. He turns into his wolf form and she sees him for what he is.The villagers turn up led by the boy who fancies Rosaleen and they find two wolves in the cottage and no grandma. One of the wolves is wearing a crucifix which was Rosaleen's and they put two and two together and see that this wolf is Rosaleen. The two wolves escape into the forest... They run from the forest into the sleeping girl's dream. Rosaleen wakes up and screams..... This movie is very unique. There is something mystical about it and it is very well shot. I found that there are so many layers to this movie that you have to watch it a few times to see things that you would have missed the first and second time.It is like a nightmare that you can't wake up from....I am going to give this one a 10/10.

1 comment:

  1. Another great review Jig, this is a personal favorite of mine as well, hence the avatar, and every time I see it I am more and more impressed with the amazing set design and dreamlike surrealism. Glad you liked it!

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