Loup (2009)
Directed by Nicolas Vanier

Film Review

Having made his name as a documentary filmmaker, Nicolas Vanier takes on his first fictional work with this ambitious adaptation of his popular 2008 novel Loup.  What Vanier offers us is an idiosyncratic coming of age story centring on an adolescent Siberian nomad who breaks with centuries of tradition by falling in love with the very creatures he is supposed to hunt and destroy.  Vanier's passion and experience as a wildlife documentarist shine through his film and make it a visually stunning tour de force.  Filmed entirely on location in the harsh wastes of Siberia (where temperatures are often as low as 50 degrees below zero), the film has its own unique poetry and carries with it a message that is pertinent and readily understood by anyone who is concerned with the natural world and man's impact on it.

A modern fable of profound significance, Loup eloquently reminds us of the barrier that separates us from the other species with which we share our planet, and that whilst it is imperative that we respect and protect other forms of life, we must not delude ourselves into thinking that we can befriend and tame them.  Survival is a tough game, animals are not toys created for our own amusement, and in our pampered modern environment it is easy to forget these basic facts of existence.  Sergeï, the main character in the film, sees what we see when he stumbles across a pack of dewy-eyed wolf cubs: cuddly little bundles of love, easily tamed, easy to empathise with.  It is a painful lesson that Sergeï must learn when he grows to realise the threat posed to his way of life by the creatures he has grown to love.

Going by the simplistic dialogue and naive (Disney) style of acting, it appears that Vanier intended this film for an exclusively child audience.  Its lack of dramatic sophistication and homespun dialogue heavily seasoned with modern French idioms rob it of the authenticity and depth that a mature adult audience would expect.  Krishna Levy's score, whilst beautiful in its own way, feels a tad too grand and saccharine for the story that Vanier is trying to tell.  Despite these obvious shortcomings, Loup is a visually arresting piece and should appeal to an audience of any age group.  The sheer beauty of its photography and the exquisite charm of its central stars - the adorable wolf cubs and their overly protective mother - make it an intensely involving celebration of the natural world, and a potent reminder of the inherent cruelties that lurk therein.

Film Synopsis

Sergueï is a nomadic reindeer herder, one of many who live in the wild mountains of eastern Siberia.  Sergueï's clan is led by his father and comprises four families, who own a herd of 3,000 reindeer which they drive from one pasture to another as the seasons change.  The main threat is the wolf, for whom the reindeer is a delicacy.  From an early age, Sergueï has been taught to chase and kill the wolves without pity.  But one day, he has an encounter with his ancient lupine adversary that will shatter his certainties.   How could he harm the helpless litter of wolf cubs?  But Sergueï knows that by sheltering and protecting them he will be breaking with thousands of years of tradition, as well as betraying his father and his clan...