Time Of The Wolf
Picture: B-
Sound: B- Extras: C Film: B-
Writer/director Michael Haneke reunites with Isabelle
Huppert with Time Of The Wolf (2003), an attempt to revive the “survivor
aftermath” film so popular in the Science Fiction films of the early to mid
1970s (Omega Man, A Boy & His Dog,
reviewed elsewhere on this site) and the more dramatic Testament
(also reviewed on this site). This
time, we do not know what kind of disaster occurred (they ran out of gasoline?)
and that is usually a MacGuffin anyhow.
Haneke is more interested in how the people in the story react when put
in a desperate situation.
Skipping what he sees as a cliché or pretension, a family
is in hiding in their home when another desperate family comes in, its father holding
a loaded rifle. The results drive the
rest of the family out and they move on.
This is intelligent, well acted, shot nicely and well paced. The problem is that we have seen it all
before and in better films. Danny Boyle
faced the same dilemma when he did 28 Days Later (also on this site) and
got too caught up in the reasons for its holocaust and ran into problems with
vampirism as a result. No monsters
here, except fore what people allow the situation to push them into being. French Cinema has not attempted such a film
since the New Wave, though this film has none of the fancy editing or
camerawork of such films.
The abuse of animals will shock those who are not used to
it or do not want to see it. I always
find such moments as lame and unnecessary as the child-in-jeopardy scenario and
practically always unnecessary.
Considering the problems of this film form an otherwise talented
filmmaker, it just confirms that Time Of The Wolf struggles to break new
ground, but cannot find it. However, to
his credit, Haneke makes the film pay off at the end just the same.
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is not bad,
shows a good use of the scope frame and was shot by cinematographer Jurgen
Jurges, B.V.K.; a cameraman who still understands what an establishing shot is
and how it works in a narrative. The
Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is used in sparse ways that are not overpowering and
even accentuate distance, something we rarely get in new sound mixes. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with Pro Logic
surrounds is not as good, but also tries to approximate this. This was a DTS ES and Dolby Digital EX
theatrical release. Too bad the DTS is
not on this DVD. Extras include
weblinks, the original trailer to this film, three trailers for other Palm DVD
titles, behind-the-scenes footage (about 7.5 minutes), plus interviews with
Huppert (4 minutes) and (at 3:44) Haneke.
At least it was better than his overrated Code Unknown and is
worth a look.
- Nicholas Sheffo
