The Company of Wolves (1984)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writers:

Angela Carter (story)
Neil Jordan (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 April 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Fantasy

Tagline:

Where fairy stories meet horror stories [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

A bag full of symbolic folklore about werewolves, or, rather, their sexual connotation. Granny tells her granddaughter Rosaleen strange...

Plot Keywords:

Folklore | Woods | Grandmother | Sexuality | Devil

Awards:

Nominated for 4 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 10 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Sarah Patterson	...	Rosaleen
Angela Lansbury	...	Granny
David Warner	...	Father
Tusse Silberg	...	Mother
Micha Bergese	...	Huntsman
Brian Glover	...	Amorous Boy's father
Graham Crowden	...	Old Priest
Kathryn Pogson	...	Young Bride
Stephen Rea	...	Young Groom
Georgia Slowe	...	Alice, Girl Killed by Wolves
Susan Porrett	...	Amorous Boy's mother
Shane Johnstone	...	Amorous Boy
Dawn Archibald	...	Witch Woman
Richard Morant	...	Wealthy Groom
Danielle Dax	...	Wolfgirl

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Norway:18 (re-rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

Apart from the few opening shots as the car travels towards the house, the exteriors of the house itself, the scene in the church and the scene of the wedding ceremony, the entire film was shot on stage in Shepperton Studios. Production designer Anton Furst studied the works of Gustave Doré and Samuel Palmer prior to designing the forest sets. The church was a real church in Shepperton Village.

Quotes:

Granny: Get ye back to Hell from whence ye came!
Huntsman: I don't come from Hell, I come from the forest.
Granny: What have you done with my Grand-daughter?
Huntsman: Nothing she didn't want!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ginger Snaps (2000)

A movie that is far more than meets the eye.

This movie is a commentary on the passage from innocence to adulthood and the life we throw away as we make that transition. It is series of dream sequences that cover the many ways a man becomes a werewolf while the primary story line is moody reworking of the Little Red Riding Hood tale. The movie itself is very complex and not for those looking for a straight horror movie or a fantasy love story. It puts forth the premise that childhood must end, and we must all in time give in to the animal within. The ending is one that comes as a surprise and a shock to most viewers. The transformation scenes are some of the most incredible in the history of werewolf movies. Those who view this movie will either walk away confused or find themselves changed in some subtle way. It tends to be a bit hard to find in the video stores, but it is more than worth the trouble of searching.