Romasanta

Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt is based on the true story of Manuel Blanco Romasanta, Spain's first documented serial killer, who claimed at his trial that he was not responsible for the numerous murders he committed since he was suffering from a curse that turned him into a wolf (always worth a go, I suppose).

The film takes place in 1851, in a rural Spanish community where there has been a spate of deadly attacks, presumably by wolves. Travelling salesman Manuel Romasanta (played by the very English Julian Sands, who makes zero attempt at an accent) arrives in the area to visit his girlfriend Maru Valdivielso, who shares her home with her rather lovely sister Bárbara (Elsa Pataky) and their young deaf niece Teresa (Luna McGill).

Seemingly concerned for their safety, Manuel offers to escort Maria and Teresa to Santander, but the girls never make it to their destination, their charming travelling companion attacking them in the forest, believing himself to be a lycanthrope—a man who can transform into a wolf. When Manuel returns to Bárbara, he seduces the unsuspecting woman, but is unable to hide the truth for very long…

With its mid-19th century European setting, ambiguous werewolf plot, and stunning visuals, Romasanta reminded me a lot of Christophe Gans' The Brotherhood of the Wolf; but like that film, Romasanta suffers from a plodding and slightly confusing narrative, one that makes matters hard going, even despite a few genuinely twisted moments involving sticks in eyes and the removal of body fat, a fairly decent transformation scene, and the sight of Pataky in a tin bath having her breasts soaped up by Sands.

In the desperate hunt to find a werewolf film of any standing discovered Romasanta. Unfortunately it seems i've wasted over two hours on a movie which had the feel of a bad TV history re-enactment drama. My housemate and fellow viewer pointed out a variety of continuity errors. We agreed that It's poorly acted, scripted, dull and drags like a dog with worms drags his arse across the carpet. I can't submit this review without writing ten lines but I really don't know what to say anymore, apart from we yawned a bit and stared at the wall a few times. We discussed how clapping originated, looked at his new shoes that he'd purchased online and how there aren't many good werewolf films, which is a shame.

But really I wouldn't bother watching this if I were you.

If we are to look upon the latest in supernatural movies, such as "Van Helsing", then i would have to say that "Romasanta" is way above them. Right from the start of the movie, one is never given the full story so the viewer is compelled to watch wanting to find out what is going on. The movie does this very well and even when the story unfolds, the emotional state of the characters is still not certain. One stays until the very end to find out. I supposed that some viewers will be disappointed because it is not an action movie, far from it. The movie is a slow, sometimes shocking, part drama part crime story which never excels in any of them. It does however hit the spot with a very grabbing story which is really much better than most of what's been seen lately.

Screened at the 2004 Frightfest in London, Romasanta had the privilege of being the only one amongst the five films that I attended to send me to sleep. Only briefly.

As such, perhaps I shouldn't comment on a film that I was only awake for 98% of the running time. Perhaps the "clincher" - the outstanding scene that would win me over - was the one that I was counting sleep to.

I doubt it.

I'm a big fan of the Hammer films, and there's a certain feel to this this evokes a similar mood to those old Terry Fisher and Freddy Francis flicks. It may be the period costumes, the older and more respectable actors hamming it up, the dodgy dialogue and the total lack of any real suspense. But the majority of the Hammer films were made more than 30 years ago, so they do have an excuse for their creakiness.

There's even a scene in the cornfield pinched (or a homage?) from Gladiator.

As per my one line summary - dull and only worth watching for Elsa Pataky.

An interesting story, with good acting, well told. Good direction, visually appealing, atmospheric.

However, scientifically, and/or historically literate viewers will find one nagging, glaring blunder; at one point in this story, which is supposed to be set in the mid 19th century, there is a reference to a person being controlled "by his genes". Come on! The term "gene" wasn't even proposed until half a century later, and additionally, around mid 19th century the mechanism of inheritance was entirely unknown; Mendel's work lay undiscovered until early 20th century, and even Mendel didn't use the word "gene" (so it couldn't have been a case of some exceptionally insightful scientist having discovered the term in some ).

That sort of a slip may not seem much, but for someone aware of this history, it does brake the illusion of an authentic world in which the events are set, making it harder to enjoy the movie. I'm surprised that anybody reviewing the script didn't pick up on it... but then again, the state of scientific literacy among filmmakers is often abysmal. In a movie set in a historical period, accuracy should be more of a priority though, I think.

The story proceeds almost languidly, punctuated by moments of violence and terror; perhaps too slow for most horror fans to appreciate, and those who do appreciate the subtlety are likely to be bothered by the "gene" mishap. The score is beautiful, and lighting is used to good effect; the combination makes for a visually and auditorily pleasing experience.

Perhaps because of how the movie is portrayed as a werewolf movie, the people who might best enjoy it, aren't likely to see it, and the people expecting a traditional supernatural horror movie might feel a bit let down.

In conclusion, Romasanta is a movie not as good as it could have been, and somewhat misleadingly advertised on the cover, but well worth seeing nonetheless. I was torn between 7 or 8 stars, and decided to be generous. :)