[.ca] Company of Wolves (Widescreen)

From Amazon.com:
The tangled forest is misty with mystery, the thatched cottages are cute and quaint, and the dashing rogues are devious charmers, but this revision of "Little Red Riding Hood" is not your usual fairy tale. In the troubled dreams of an adolescent girl in the hormonal rush of puberty, it becomes a veritable werewolf story with lush storybook imagery, gothic horror flourishes, and decidedly sexual implications. Director Neil Jordan, who collaborated with author Angela Carter in this 1985 adaptation of her story, applies a knowing intelligence to the bittersweet tale. The often startling transformation effects may appear primitive compared to modern movies, but the delight is in the dark imagination, dense textures, and fantastical wonders of this dream world. Angela Lansbury is the story-spinning granny and David Warner the understanding woodsman father, and watch for a devilish cameo by a sinister and seductive Terence Stamp. --Sean Axmaker

Amazon.com Essential Video:
The tangled forest is misty with mystery, the thatched cottages are cute and quaint, and the dashing rogues are devious charmers, but this revision of "Little Red Riding Hood" is not your usual fairy tale. In the troubled dreams of an adolescent girl in the hormonal rush of puberty, it becomes a veritable werewolf story with lush storybook imagery, gothic horror flourishes, and decidedly sexual implications. Director Neil Jordan, who collaborated with author Angela Carter in this 1985 adaptation of her story, applies a knowing intelligence to the bittersweet tale. The often startling transformation effects may appear primitive compared to modern movies, but the delight is in the dark imagination, dense textures, and fantastical wonders of this dream world. Angela Lansbury is the story-spinning granny and David Warner the understanding woodsman father, and watch for a devilish cameo by a sinister and seductive Terence Stamp. --Sean Axmaker

Freud's Fairy Tales:
This is a decidely freudian interpretation of classic fairy tales. The story is immersed in sexuality, defining the loss of virginity in terms of fear, horror and violence. All men are protrayed as predatory animals and savage beasts solely driven by lust, who must be killed before they violate their young maiden prey. This film boasts a talented director (Neil Jordan, who co-wrote the script) and cast (the beautiful young lead, Sarah Patterson, especially deserves praise) but suffers from a lack of focus regarding the plot structure and overall intent. It has a schizophrenic personality, never quite deciding whether it is a quality family film, an out-and-out horror flick or an adult exploration into sexuality. It never wholly succeeds on any of these levels.

Fantasy Horror Metaphor for Blossoming Sexuality:
Neil Jordan (the Crying Game, Interview with The Vampire) directs a screenplay co-written by Angela Carter and based on the short stories concerning werewolves from her collection of short stories, The Bloody Chamber. The film is about a young adolescent named Rosaleen who dreams of various encounters with werewolves. The film has a consistent fairytale theme and it carries strongly into its visual style which stands out, in that it seemingly sprung right out of an old storybook. It is an absolutely gorgeous film. The art director for The Company of Wolves, Anton Furst, of course went on to create Gotham City and the Bat-mobile for Tim Burton's Batman. Ultimately, the dreams that Rosaleen has and the many stories within them circle around her aroused apprehension toward entering puberty. We meet Rosaleen (Sara Patterson) while she is asleep at the beginning of the movie. She is dreaming of being chased through the forest by wolves that killed her sister. After her sister's funeral, she goes to live with her Granny (Angela Lansbury). Soon Rosaleen dons a red hood and her Grandmother begins to tell her a story that warns her about the dangers of werewolves. This story makes for some of the best visuals in the film and the segment stars Stephen Rea. Rosaleen sees her parents having sex and finds out a bit more when a boy begins to flirt with her. Eventually we see many references to Rosaleen's new sexuality after she kisses the boy. After several other short stores told by Granny (including one with Terrence Stamp as the devil) it is soon revealed that werewolves are indeed in the village. Rosaleen's family even kills a wolf and its paw turns into a human hand. As times passes, Rosaleen ventures out into the woods to her Granny's house only now she seems more aware of the dangers and is armed with a knife. Before she begins her travels she is challenged to a race to get there by a young hunter. If she wins she gets his compass and if he wins, he gets to kiss her. He is of course a werewolf and he arrives first, eating Granny. Rosaleen arrives and the hunter has her remove her red hood and burn it. Then he attempts to charm her. She shoots him and he transforms into a wolf. She pities the injured animal and decides to tell him a story about a young nude wolf-girl (played by experimental musician Danielle Dax) who arrives in the village. Later, Rosaleen's family and the villagers arrive at Granny's house and find two wolves there. Rosaleen's parents recognize that one of the wolves is a transformed Rosaleen. The wolves run into the forest and eventually show up inside the house where Rosaleen is dreaming. The fact that this is a series of stories being told within a dream is significant as a sexual commentary via the subconscious mind. I don't believe Carter's stories would've been effective on film were they not framed within the context of a dream. Given that narrative, it is amazing how these ideas managed to translate so precisely. There must've been great communication between Jordan and Carter. The stories themselves are a culmination of some of Carter's best work and a whole lifetime of brainstorming. A lot of credit also goes to the cast, especially Sarah Patterson, who was likely a young teen at the time. It is a wonder Patterson didn't go on to become a big star and many still hold out hope that she will surface again in some capacity, even now...decades later. Maybe some of it is coincidence and no doubt much of it is the talent of the cast and crew, but it seems like everything comes together just right for this film and it comes off as even more cohesive and poetic to me with each subsequent viewing. I've watched the Company of Wolves many times and it still remains one of the best movies I have ever seen.

a bizarre,very stylistic take on "little red riding hood":
Neil Jordan's company of wolves is a strange movie, to say the least.it is esoteric and surreal,and filled with imagery and symbolism.aesthetically speaking it is beautiful to watch.this is not a movie about werewolves per SE, but a commentary on the human condition and the beast that lurks within us all.the movie also contains strong sexual undertones and delves a bit into some disturbing subject matter including a young girl,perhaps fourteen or fifteen and an adult male.there are strong undercurrents of sexual chemistry between the two,and while nothing sexual does occur,the implication is clearly there.the movie is purely fantasy,of course, and at times cartoonish,sometimes to the point of absurdity.at times it is simply a parody of itself.the transformations are nothing spectacular,which may be intentional.the movie doesn't take itself seriously but is certainly not a comedy. it is certainly stylish,and also has substance,which is not readily apparent,at first glance.it is interesting to watch, and i can't say whether i will watch it again or not.i didn't dislike nor did i particularly like it.it is however a unique experience.i should mention that there is one scene which i found quite disgusting which occurs about twenty minutes in,so you might want to prepare yourself.certainly a hard film to rate, but i will give it 5* based on the look of the film and its uniqueness.not for everybody. 2.5/5

Damn Good!:
What a movie! I remember recording this on TV a long time ago because I didn't have the privelage of finding it on VHS or DVD. The thing that brought me to this was that it featured werewolves. I hadn't really been interested in the subject, but then I was imediately mesmerized by the colorful and dark scenery. Everything had such a nice and gothic look to it, every scene perfected. Do me a favor and pick this one up. You don't really have to be in the mood for it, it just draws you in.

Classic Original:
I first watched this movie when I was young. I still watch this one when I have the chance to. A good werewolf movie but without the gore. Not to many werewolf movies can be produced without having to have gore in it. This is one movie that you can enjoy as a family. I especially like the fairy tale take on it! A very magical world.