2001, Director: Christophe Gans, Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Running Time: 144 minutes, Country of Origin: France
With enough plot for five American movies, this is a French mélange of slasher film, Hammer horror, political intrigue, romance, martial arts, and historical melodrama. Quite a mixture, and it’s to director Gans credit that he manages to pull it off quite well. Samuel Le Bihan is the Royal Taxidermist, sent by the King to investigate a series of killings in the province of Gevaudan and why nobody seems capable of catching the beast responsible. Le Bihan’s rationalistic scientific hero is contrasted by his Iroquois companion, played by American actor Mark Dacascos. It’s visually a very sumptuous film, with beautiful set design, costumes and rich period detail. It’s also got some pretty hair-raising sequences as our two heroes hunt down a seemingly supernatural Beast that is ravaging the countryside with impunity. It can be challenging, especially for us who have been raised watching movies that are so much slimmer in their plotting, but it’s ultimately a satisfying ride.
Rating: a solid 4 stars. Find it and rent it.
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