Sunday Bloody Sunday: The Company of Wolves

With Red Riding Hood in the theaters this weekend, I thought this 1984 movie would be apropos.  While many of the early fairy tales were gruesome little horror stories in and of themselves, The Company of Wolves takes it to another level.

The movies have similarities.  Both are set in villages set deep in a forest; both are plagued by werewolf attacks. The movies also spend a lot of time exploring the burgeoning sexuality of its main character.

The Company of Wolves bookends the drama with a piece set in modern times that places the majority of the action in a dream.  After her sister is killed, Rosaleen spends time with her grandmother (Angela Lansbury) who knits her a red cape and tells her stories that are meant to protect her.  Grandma's advice?  Never stray from the path, never eat a wind-fallen apple, and never trust a man whose eyebrows meet.  Of course, Rosaleen ignores all those.  The stories are presented as a series of stories within the main story and they weave together to create a unique movie that is less horror movie (although it is definitely a horror film) and more a ride to the darker side of Wonderland.

The movie's weakness is in its ending, which is both abrupt and open ended.  We don't get any closure and the bookended scenes are never really put to effective use.  However, the rest of this film more than makes up for these shortcomings.

The movie is a visual treat.  The imagery will stick with you long after seeing the film.  There are two transformation scenes that are original and unforgettable.  The effects are extremely dated, but at the time they were extremely well done and were nominated for several BAFTA awards.  This is an early Neil Jordan film; he would go on to direct The Crying Game and Interview With A Vampire.  His skills are already evident though, and he would only improve.

When I saw this for the first time in the 80's, it blew me away.  Rewatching it for this post, it's a little cheesy.  However, if you can appreciate the effects for what they were at the time, the movie is a pleasing journey into the some wild places.  If the new version of Red Riding Hood had attempted this originality, it would have been a much better film.