MovieChat Forums > The Company of Wolves (1985) Discussion > The Company of Wolves a beautiful movie...

The Company of Wolves a beautiful movie that makes no sense.

posted 15 years ago by Hurricane_G-Man
29 replies | jump to latest

I didn't really like it but I couldn't bring my self to hate it either. It could have been the fact that I spent 25$ on it. The pacing is one of it's more obvious flaws, It tended to drag on and on while trying to tell a story. But by the time it got to the end your to disinterested in the movie altogether to really care. And the heart of the story is just a dream. There's no real talk on why she's having the dream, it's importance to the development of the character, or anything (At least Never Ending Story showed purpose for the book in proportion with the kid).

The characters were dull and plain, none of them really tended to stand out and it made the werewolf storys that much more boring because of it. I understood where the story was going but it just couldn't hold my intrust. The concept and werewolf transformations were good, but sadly everything else was poorly handled. I Say a remake is in order.

"you just got served G-man style."

[–] Zentaurion 13 years ago

I don't think the movie is meant to make much sense. You just have to take it for what it is, a rumination into the mythology it is based on. You might appreciate it more if you grew up in a rural place and it brings a sense of nostalgia, or just want to feel a sense of that influence.

'pay the man'

[–] Hurricane_G-Man 13 years ago

No I get that the Werewolves symbolize adulthood, it just could have had better characterization and pacing. I love what they tried to do with the concept of werewolves, but sadly it was lacking on the basic film fundamentals. Make Characters you care about, keep the story moving, and make it interesting.

"I don't have an opinion. The word "opinion" implies the possibility I'm wrong."

[–] richard-III 11 years ago

It's a nightmarish fairytale. And I think it is perfect!

You don't turn Red Riding Hood into a character study or psychological drama. Not if you want it to be a fairytale. A grandma is a grandma, a prince is a prince, a king is a king. One can play with it a bit, but they have to stay archetypical.

Just my opinion. In my dreams, no person I dream about is a fleshed out character.

"I don't discriminate between entertainment
and arthouse. A film is a goddam film."

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] PoppyTransfusion 12 years ago

I think the film speaks in a dream code and is very sensual. The characters are not fleshed out because they are symbols for each person to interpret and/or identify with and as such are opaque and empty.

I found the tale that Rosaleen told of the were-female sad.

Why problem make? When you no problem have, you don't want to make ...

[–] richard-III 11 years ago

Good grief! What did you expect, a werewolf film? Something like The Howling or American Werewolf In London? They're great films, but The Company Of Wolves is simply not another 'werewolf film'.

I dread why you want a remake. I think that you just want to cut everything beautiful out of Angela Carter's sensitive story and add more werewolf scenes. Well, I tell you that will never happen.

"I don't discriminate between entertainment
and arthouse. A film is a goddam film."

[–] Hurricane_G-Man 11 years ago

I said i liked the concept, meaning the ultimate idea of the story but yes this film could use a second shot.

"I don't have an opinion. The word "opinion" implies the possibility I'm wrong."

[–] CantripZ 10 years ago

Sorry mate I'm not seeing how that would work. The central concept of the film is that it's a dream-like, folklore-inspired anthology of psychological tales.

This film started out as a book of short stories by Angela Carter.

Then the author adapted it into a rather minimal stage production (completely different to the book).

Then the author and Neil Jordan, the movie's director, adapted it into a movie (completely different to the play *and* the book).

So now, some movie director or writing team is supposed to come along and turn this piece of unique weirdness into a regular werewolf movie??

If it was a stereotypical Hollywood remake, they could set it in present-day Pasadena, make the female lead 18 and maybe add some comedy to...!!

How does that sound?

[–] Hurricane_G-Man 10 years ago

you posted all of that so you could just attack a straw man. the time period of the dreamlike fairy tale and the all-around tone of the film can still be held but polished off better.

a director like Gilmore Deltoro probably be perfect for a remake.

"I don't have an opinion. The word "opinion" implies the possibility I'm wrong."

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

The central concept of the film is that it's a dream-like, folklore-inspired anthology of psychological tales.

And that's exactly what this interesting, but flawed film ended up looking and feeling like. Certainly not a complete fluid work, but a stagey, uneven grab bag of adult fairy tales. 🐭

[–] 8 years ago

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