Le temps du loup (2003)

When Anna and her family arrive at their holiday home, they find it occupied by strangers. This confrontation is just the beginning of a painful learning process.

Director:

Michael Haneke

Writer:

Michael Haneke

Stars:

Isabelle Huppert, Anaïs Demoustier, Béatrice Dalle

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Isabelle Huppert	...	Anne Laurent
Béatrice Dalle	...	Lise Brandt
Patrice Chéreau	...	Thomas Brandt
Rona Hartner	...	Arina
Maurice Bénichou	...	M. Azoulay
Olivier Gourmet	...	Koslowski
Brigitte Roüan	...	Béa
Lucas Biscombe	...	Ben Laurent
Hakim Taleb	...	Young runaway
Anaïs Demoustier	...	Eva Laurent
Serge Riaboukine	...	The leader
Maryline Even	...	Mme Azoulay
Florence Loiret Caille	...	Nathalie Azoulay (as Florence Loiret-Caille)
Branko Samarovski	...	Policeman
Daniel Duval	...	Georges Laurent

Storyline

In an undefined time, the environment has been totally destroyed and now the water is contaminated and the animals have been burned. Georges Laurent travels with her wife Anne Laurent, their teenage daughter Eva and their son Ben from the city to their cabin in the countryside. On the arrival, they find that intruders have broken in the house, and one stranger kills George. Anne, Eva and Ben wander through the village asking for shelter and supplies for their acquaintances, but they refuse to help them. They reach an abandoned barn and spend the night inside. On the next morning, they meet a teenage boy and they walk together to a train station, where they find other survivors. Together, they wait for the train expecting to go to a better place in the middle of the chaos.

---

Plot Keywords:

scantily clad female | dysfunctional society | maggot | parakeet | male nudity | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Horror

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence, language and sexuality/nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Haneke: [character name] Isabelle Huppert's character is named Anne Laurent.

---

Connections

Featured in Inthierryview (2008)

User Reviews

Dark and involving mood piece

Haneke's nightmare vision of a post-apocalyptic world is darkly atmospheric and beautifully photographed. True, there isn't much of a plot and the pace is slow. The film is primarily a mood piece, but a very good one. Unlike the usual end-of-the-world thriller, the characters aren't facing any ghoulish monsters other than each other. This approach lends a striking realism to the movie.

Some of Haneke's films -- especially "Funny Games" -- are marred by heavy-handed social commentary. Happily, this is not a problem in "Time of the Wolf." One can always read politics into any allegory, but it is quite unnecessary in this film. I neither know nor care whether Haneke had a specific political situation in mind; what matters is that the resulting movie stands on its own as an artistic achievement.

8/10. Recommended for fans of grim, moody films.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site [Austria]

Country:

France Austria Germany

Language:

French Romanian

Release Date:

8 October 2003 (France)

Also Known As:

Le temps du loup

Filming Locations:

Austria

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,560, 27 June 2004

Gross USA:

$61,439

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$499,149

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arte France Cinéma, Bavaria Film, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1