Brotherhood of the Wolf as a Highlander story

[Jedi Marso]

Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pact de Loups) is one of my favorite movies. For a little background, this is from Wiki:

Brotherhood of the Wolf (French: Le Pacte des loups) is a 2001 French period action horror film[3][4] directed by Christophe Gans, co-written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel, and starring Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Émilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel. The story takes place in 18th-century France, where the Chevalier de Fronsac and Mani of the Iroquois tribe are sent to investigate the mysterious slaughter of hundreds by an unknown creature in the county of Gévaudan.

The plot is loosely based on a real-life series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century and the famous legend of the beast of Gévaudan; parts of the film were shot at Château de Roquetaillade. The film has several extended swashbuckling fight scenes, with martial arts performances by the cast mixed in, making it unusual for a historical drama. The special effects for the creature are a combination of computer generated imagery, as well as puppetry and animatronics designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

The film received generally positive critical reviews, highlighting its high production values, cinematography, performances and Gans' atmospheric direction. At a $29 million budget, it was a commercial success, grossing over $70 million in worldwide theatrical release.[2] The film also became the sixth-highest-grossing French-language film of all time in the United States,[5][6] and it also became one of the biggest international successes for French-language films.[7]

First of all, anyone who hasn't seen this film but loves action period pieces should definitely see it. For the best experience, watch it in French with English subtitles. (Unless you are fluent in French, of course.) I can't imagine another movie set in 18th Century rural France, with a Chinese guy playing an Iroquois Indian, who knows Kung-fu, beating the hell out of villainous men dressed in drag. Sounds bizarre, I know, but within the context of the movie it almost makes sense. This movie is not a product of Hollywood- it is far superior to most of what comes out of there.

Anyway, I got to thinking after watching this film for the umpteenth time that there is a mechanism here to make a Highlander origin story out of this one. When Sylvia poisons Fronsac to fake his death, what if it wasn't faked, but Sylvia (Monica Bellucci) was an immortal who recognized Fronsac as a pre-immie and gives him his 'first death' to empower him against his enemies near the conclusion of the movie? Of course, she utterly fails to explain to him what he is or take him on as a student, especially since he intends to leave Gévaudan with Marianne. He would learn later, when he fails to age and his wounds mysteriously heal, going on to live down through the centuries, walking the Earth as a naturalist, artist, adventurer, and of course, chevalier. He and Sylvia could meet in later eras as well. If anyone in this movie was a Highlander-style immortal, it was her. Being French, it would not be out-of-bounds for Fronsac to have known Darius, and in his Africa wanderings he might have encountered immortals such as Xavier St. Cloud or Haresh Clay.

For those familiar with the movie, what do you think? It would be interesting to see a fan edit of this movie with just a couple of tweaks to bring in the Highlander angle, without making it too obvious. It even has one of the best Highlander-style optical scene-wipes ever done, where the camera pans over a sleeping, naked Monica Bellucci and her breasts transform into snow-covered hills for an outdoor scene. Discuss!

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

For those familiar with the movie, what do you think? It would be interesting to see a fan edit of this movie with just a couple of tweaks to bring in the Highlander angle, without making it too obvious. It even has one of the best Highlander-style optical scene-wipes ever done, where the camera pans over a sleeping, naked Monica Bellucci and her breasts transform into snow-covered hills for an outdoor scene. Discuss!

''Everything I see reminds me of her.''---------Frank Drebin, from the first NAKED GUN.

I do remember the film, and have a DVD copy. As I've seen it less often lately, what I remember most about it now is Emilie Dequenne and the intense action scenes after Mark Dacascos left the movie.

My friend and I enjoyed it. But I doubt either one of us would alter a frame.

 

[Jedi Marso]

I just got the collector's edition, which is a director's cut that brings back a few cut scenes that make the love story subplot, as well as Fronsac's return to Gevaudan make a lot more sense. He and Mani didn't just arbitrarily decide to return, it turns out, and the Morangias family was actively trying to keep Fronsac and Marianne apart.

 

[Jedi Marso]

My friend and I enjoyed it. But I doubt either one of us would alter a frame.

Okay, but what about the Highlander angle by itself? Fronsac and Sylvia as immortals?

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

Okay, but what about the Highlander angle by itself? Fronsac and Sylvia as immortals?

It's probably doable. I've seen the first two HIGHLANDER films once each, but I only own BROTHERHOOD. I would definitely have to rewatch the entire film again before I could add anything of constructive value.* Without giving away too many spoilers, I can say Dacasco's character also deserves immortality whether he's eligible or not.

(*As time passes, some of my movie memories atrophy. There are six or seven I remember seeing yet can't remember a single solitary moment. Of course watching something twice never hurts, unless Melanie Griffith co-stars in it.)

 

[Captaindemotion]

I remember enjoying this tremendously in the cinema and have always thought that Marc Dacascos should’ve been a bigger star (back in the day, he would’ve been my ideal choice to play Prince Namor; I don’t think the character was as defined as an Aztec as he has been more recently, or if he was, maybe I just didn’t realise).

I can’t remember the plot well enough to comment on the Highlander angle but I too am in the “don’t change a bit of it” camp.

 

[JD]

Not really familiar enough with Highlander to address that part of the post, but I have Brotherhood of the Wolf a couple times and agree that it's a great movie.