An ACES colour-managed workflow was implemented for the Dolby Vision grade with Bigueur, then completing a scene by scene trim pass. The incredible hit that took audiences and critics alike on "a wild ride" (Premiere) is back with more chilling adventure that's sure to have pulses racing all over again! The Guts of the Beast (2002) - a long and very interesting archival documentary, directed by Pascal Laugier ( Martyrs), which focuses on the various obstacles the creative team behind Brotherhood of the Wolf had to overcome. Working with the editor was also essential in achieving the best grade, and DaVinci Resolve was vital to this collaborative workflow. My role as the colourist was to give back the character and power that the film had on its debut and propel fans old and new into this great French classic.

While any changes to the story itself were out of the question, the director did want to adapt the film for more modern viewing while addressing some of the issues arising during the mastering process. I’ve revisited The Brotherhood of the Wolfquite a few times over the years, with the last time being when Shout Factory released their very underwhelming 2021 Blu-ray of the film. Europe's busiest forums, with independent news and expert reviews, for TVs, Home Cinema, Hi-Fi, Movies, Gaming, Tech and more. As Roger Ebert said in his review, “ The Brotherhood of the Wolf” plays like an explosion at the genre factory. The ultimate multi-genre blend, Christophe Gans 2001 period murder mystery action horror thriller - with Mark Dacascos and martial arts - is one of the great underrated gems from the last quarter-Century.

Note: The text below was first used in our review of the exclusive French Blu-ray release of Brotherhood of the Wolf which StudioCanal produced in 2008. From the opening beast attack to that thrilling first fight to the film’s final moments, this is a rich and active soundscape. In 2001, StudioCanal released Brotherhood of the Wolf unto the world, a period genre-movie hybrid, based on actual accounts from 18th Century France. We reviewed the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Brotherhood of the Wolf on an LG 55B7 Dolby Vision 4K Ultra HD OLED TV with a Panasonic DP-UB820EB-K Dolby Vision HDR10+ 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. The early CGI, however clunky, represents a point in history where there was still an uneasiness of how to use those tools.

Gans, in his commentary included on this disc, admits he prefers the first half of the film to the second. Fine lines are clean, and facial features, costumes, textures, and scenery all render beautifully with an appreciable amount of fine cinematic film grain.

Brotherhood of the Wolf, one of the most financially successful French films of all time, is a beautiful blend of elements from a half a dozen different genres, brought together perfectly under the guide of imaginative Director Christophe Gans, whose stylish excesses actually work wonders for this cross-bred hybrid. You can probably tell from my comment above about Shout’s previous Blu-ray release that I was no fan of the transfer used there. Unseen, possessed of enormous strength and a seemingly near-human intelligence, the beast has eluded capture for years. One, unimaginitively titled ‘Behind the Scenes’, is very much a fly-on-the-wall affair that charts the difficult production from start to finish. This is hardly surprising because the first Blu-ray release of Brotherhood of the Wolf was sourced from a DVD-era master with plenty of limitations.

If The Matrix broke new ground for movies everywhere, The Brotherhood of the Wolf picked up the pieces and found fun, reflexive ways to play with them all the while telling a good story. Jérôme Bigueur, a senior colorist at Hiventy, looks back at this long-running project, reflecting on how much has changed in two decades.

WCG and HDR, of the Dolby Vision variety play a key part too, in that Gans and his production team were able to right a series of wrongs originally determined by the limitations of technology when the film was made, not least the pretty janky CG of the 'beast' itself, which is much better managed here, integrated more smoothly entirely through better use of the colour space. They are seen riding in through the rain – the start of a sequence heavily evocative of its influences in the western genre – to happen upon a couple of peasants being beaten by a vicious gang. The result is nothing short of spectacular, with the lush and highly detailed production design now being seen in all of its glory like it’s the first time. A stunning new restoration of the director’s cut of the thrilling 2001 cult classic BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF by director Christophe Gans, starring Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Jérémie Renier, Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci. Gans is clearly a devoted cinephile (which is backed up by his contributions to the extra features) who puts a lot of thought into his mis-en-scene, referencing a wide range of influences to create stunningly cinematic imagery.

Trailer - presented here is a promotional trailer for the new 4K restoration of Brotherhood of the Wolf. Colours are rich, details are pin sharp, yet it still has that sumptuous, natural shot-on-film look. Through this scene, right from the outset, the director sets his film apart from any standard period drama, French or otherwise, establishing itself with the kind of opening you would expect from a horror film (c. Indeed, for Brotherhood of the Wolf, he got the mix just right – taking a story steeped in French history, brimming with political intrigue and open-ended mystery, and integrating in exotic themes of horror, sex, martial arts and fantasy – all of which allowed him to put his imaginative style to good use without drowning such rich ingredients.This is enhanced by more behind-the-scenes footage, including rehearsals of the action scenes, which are a pleasure to watch. The 2-disc Blu-ray includes deleted scenes and a host of extras, while the 4-disc 4K UHD release also includes the theatrical cut and eight featurettes – while all formats include the English audio as well as the French audio in Dolby Atmos. So, when StudioCanal announced they’d be re-releasing the film in its Director’s Cut, with a new 4K remastered print, I leapt at the chance to review it. Amongst them are: Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), The Haunting (1999), and The Morning After (1986).