The Company of Wolves (1984)

Neil Jordan's The Company of Wolves was a film I didn't exactly expect much of. I had never seen any of Jordan's films, and Angela Carter, the author of the book on which this was based and thus primarily a writer of fiction, wrote the screenplay herself, which I felt could go either way. A great fiction writer can easily stumble when trying to make visual works out of their prose. Not to spoil my opinion too early, but this is actually a rare triumph in nearly every area, as both a film and an adaptation. While perhaps not something to everyone's taste based on perusing audience reviews, this film is a fairly unique work in the folky, fairy tale horror tradition and like Carter's collection of stories it's based on, it's still being vigorously copied today.

The bulk of the film is very faithful to the text of the short story, though with a few added embellishments, most of which probably wouldn't feel as pure and inspired if it came from a stranger poking through her work. In case you haven't read my review of The Bloody Chamber, it's a book that is heavily taken with the concept of the werebeast as metaphor, and it plays around with it in a variety of larger-than-life tales about relationships between men and women, and the effects they have on one another. Stephen Rea's character in the film marries a sweet young woman and knocks her up, only to go out one night for a piss and never return. In most stories and indeed real-life, this is for mundane reasons like laziness, fear of commitment, or plain ol' boredom; in this story, it's because he's secretly a werewolf, but if you look past this literal interpretation and consider the subtext, it's quite interesting. 

But what makes it such a great examination is its even-handedness when it comes to both men and women. Early on, we mostly see men being compared to wolves, but by the end, the fairer sex isn't safe from Carter's cutting social commentary either. The film highlights this with a great line, original to the film adaptation: "If there is a beast in men, it has met its match in women." There's a kind of twisted feminist rebellion here, and it's not content to simply cast blame on others. It wrestles with the tough questions, and utilizes an, let's say, non-traditional approach to morality in fairy tales. And when it isn't doing that, it's being cheeky, with an undercurrent of Freudian imagery and thematic touches. One image involving a lipstick mirror and hatching eggs springs to mind as gleefully unsubtle and quite striking. It's a very unique and genuinely mature story that I can't help but fall for, and while the characters aren't fleshed out in the traditional sense, that isn't really a problem seeing as they mostly exist as universal symbols; they're done about as well as they need to be for the other parts of the story to do their thing. 

Like the original short story, the film has an odd, atypical structure that feels more like an anthology comprised of thematically-linked vignettes surrounded by a strong frame narrative as opposed to a typical three-act screenplay. It's quite reminiscent of Blood on Satan's Claw, in this way and a fair few others as well. The best part about its construction, though, is the way it keeps you on your toes and guessing, which makes the runtime just melt away; I never checked my watch once. 

The other clear inspiration for the film and possibly even the original stories is Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, both in terms of the story it tells, its themes, its mysterious, anachronistic medieval setting and especially its visuals. The imagery of forests ripe with towering mushrooms, giant stuffed teddies, little furry animals, and big, scary ones too: it's all so dense-packed and so real, man. There's that all-important texture, and a commitment to practical effects which creates a feast for the eyes in nearly every frame. There are lots of times they shoot outdoor scenes on what is probably a set with some fake trees, leaves, animals, and a wind machine and I just love how it looks. It looks like reality, only heightened and exaggerated in a way that reminds me of another visually rich folkie, Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan, which took this concept to the very extreme. While it isn't quite that pronounced, you do notice it, and I thought it was a great touch, though for many it will just come off as 'fake' or ill-considered. The only knock I have against the visuals are the obligatory werewolf transformation sequences, which I found a little too well-lit and Chuck-E-Cheese looking, though I couldn't fault the attempt, as they're never boring and each time they're just a little different. 

Aurally, the film is every bit as strong, with a score that screams 'twisted fairy tale' and appropriately dresses everything up without calling too much attention to itself. The performances are strong, with some slightly heightened performances from the likes of Granny feeling appropriate to me given the story and its atmosphere, but your mileage may vary. The lead gives a terrific performance, and I couldn't stop thinking about how much like Emilia Clarke she looks, but the absolute best performance is given by a Mr. Micha Bergese, who's suitably intense and seductive in his role as our lead's corrupting influence, though it's a close call with Stephen Rea's memorable cameo-appearance. Overall, The Company of Wolves has it all, especially for those who enjoy this subgenre of subverted bedtime stories. It's often wildly creative and fun, even when it's examining fairly serious ideas, and done in an agreeably provocative and totally undiluted way thanks to a wonderful screenplay from the original author of the book. It doesn't follow all the rules to the T, and some will balk at the structure and the almost-hackneyed twist ending, but I thought it was well, well worth my time, especially as a double bill with The Bloody Chamber. I would highly recommend both to all the readers of this blog and general lovers of twisted tales.