Film Review
Having made his name as a documentary filmmaker, Nicolas Vanier takes
on his first fictional work with this ambitious adaptation of his
popular 2008 novel
Loup.  What
Vanier offers us is an idiosyncratic coming of age story centring on an
adolescent Siberian nomad who breaks with centuries of tradition by falling
in love with the very creatures he is supposed to hunt and
destroy. Vanier's passion and experience as a wildlife
documentarist shine through his film and make it a visually stunning
tour de force. Filmed entirely on location in the harsh wastes of
Siberia (where temperatures are often as low as 50 degrees below zero),
the film has its own unique poetry and carries with it a message that
is pertinent and readily understood by anyone who is concerned with the
natural world and man's impact on it.
A modern fable of profound significance,
Loup eloquently reminds us of the
barrier that separates us from the other species with which we share
our planet, and that whilst it is imperative that we respect and
protect other forms of life, we must not delude ourselves into thinking
that we can befriend and tame them. Survival is a tough game,
animals are not toys created for our own amusement, and in our pampered
modern environment it is easy to forget these basic facts of
existence. Sergeï, the main character in the film, sees what
we see when he stumbles across a pack of dewy-eyed wolf cubs: cuddly
little bundles of love, easily tamed, easy to empathise with. It
is a painful lesson that Sergeï must learn when he grows to
realise the threat posed to his way of life by the creatures he has
grown to love.
Going by the simplistic dialogue and naive (Disney) style of acting, it
appears that Vanier intended this film for an exclusively child
audience. Its lack of dramatic sophistication and homespun
dialogue heavily seasoned with modern French idioms rob it of the
authenticity and depth that a mature adult audience would expect.
Krishna Levy's score, whilst beautiful in its own way, feels a tad too
grand and saccharine for the story that Vanier is trying to tell.
Despite these obvious shortcomings,
Loup
is a visually arresting piece and should appeal to an audience of any
age group. The sheer beauty of its photography and the exquisite
charm of its central stars - the adorable wolf cubs and their overly
protective mother - make it an intensely involving celebration of the
natural world, and a potent reminder of the inherent cruelties that
lurk therein.
© James Travers 2013
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Film Synopsis
Sergueï is a nomadic reindeer herder, one of many who live in the
wild mountains of eastern Siberia. Sergueï's clan is led by
his father and comprises four families, who own a herd of 3,000
reindeer which they drive from one pasture to another as the seasons
change. The main threat is the wolf, for whom the reindeer is a
delicacy. From an early age, Sergueï has been taught to
chase and kill the wolves without pity. But one day, he has an
encounter with his ancient lupine adversary that will shatter his
certainties. How could he harm the helpless litter of
wolf cubs? But Sergueï knows that by sheltering and
protecting them he will be breaking with thousands of years of
tradition, as well as betraying his father and his clan...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.