The Company Of Wolves
The desire... the fantasy... the nightmare.
In the dead of night, the beast is unleashed.
Director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview With A Vampire) has a well earned reputation for lushly photographed films with arresting and evocative themes. The Company Of Wolves is his imaginative reworking of "Little Red Riding Hood" as a wonderfully wicked fairy tale for adults. Angela Carter adapted the screenplay from her own short story.
The story unfolds as young Rosaleen (Sarah Patteson) lies dreaming in her bed. A violent nightmare transports her back in time to a world of primeval forests and werewolves. In this netherworld she learns that her only sister has been killed by a wolf. Her Granny (Angela Lansbury) weaves vivid tales of folklore and fantasy with warnings of fantastic beasts that lurk within men and foretelling the fate of all young girls who stray from the path.
The Company Of Wolves is a unique excursion into horror-bathed in sensual imagery, punctuated with nightmarish special effects, and destined to become a modern cult classic.
Member Reviews
werewolves - Mike21
Great special effects for 1984. A bag full of symbolic folklore about werewolves, or, rather, their sexual connotation. Granny tells her granddaughter Rosaleen strange, disturbing tales about innocent maidens falling in love with handsome, heavily eyebrowed strangers with a smoldering look in their eyes; about sudden disappearances of spouses when the moon is round & the wolves are howling in the woods; about babies found inside stork eggs, in a stork nest high up a tree; etc., etc. Of course the story of Little Red Ridinghood is also present.Good - Wentai
The set design was magnificent, which is one of my favourite elements in a movie. I love the wonderful moss covered trees, old stone pathways and ancient groves that meandered up and down through the woods.
The camera work was excellent too -- watch a cheap SF movie, the straight to video kind, and you will see nothing but basic straight forward camera work. This movie constantly put something in the forground -- a tree, a pot, a leafy grove -- and put the rest of the scene a few paces back, into the background. It was a neat effect and a sign of skill.Visually compelling re-telling of a classic coming-of-age tale - LoisLame
I was originally a fan of the short story by Angela Carter, but this movie has haunted me over the years. The stories within the story are delightfully horrific, yes, but it's the visual impact of the film that sets it apart from the monster movie genre. The visual effects, by today's standards, are laughable, but at the time of release they were cutting edge so this film must be viewed with that thought in mind. It's one of those rare films that has taken horror and elevated it to an art form. So, if you're looking for a dark fairy tale that simultaneously visually delights and shocks, look no further than "The Company of Wolves."
Member Reviews
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werewolves - Mike21
Great special effects for 1984. A bag full of symbolic folklore about werewolves, or, rather, their sexual connotation. Granny tells her granddaughter Rosaleen strange, disturbing tales about innocent maidens falling in love with handsome, heavily eyebrowed ...Good - Wentai
The set design was magnificent, which is one of my favourite elements in a movie. I love the wonderful moss covered trees, old stone pathways and ancient groves that meandered up and down through the woods.
The camera work was excellent too -- watch ...Visually compelling re-telling of a classic coming-of-age tale - LoisLame
I was originally a fan of the short story by Angela Carter, but this movie has haunted me over the years. The stories within the story are delightfully horrific, yes, but it's the visual impact of the film that sets it apart from the monster movie genre. The ...