The Werewolf Hunter: Legend of Romasanta (DVD)

This supernatural horror film starring Julian Sands (Warlock, Boxing Helena, Phantom of the Opera) was released theatrically in Spain and is based upon award-winning novelist Alfredo Conde’s book Romasanta—Unreliable Memoirs of a Werewolf.

The novel is written as first-person account by Manuel Blanco Romasanta, a mid-nineteenth century wanderer who committed several savage murders in dark forests, leaving a trail of bitten, torn and eviscerated corpses in his wake. He was caught and put on trial, his defense being that he suffered from lycanthropy. Amazingly, this claim was supported by the most influential scientists of the day, and even Queen Isabel II herself. A lot of dark clouds and mystery surround this bizarre true-life tale, making it the perfect candidate for a speculative cinematic version of the horrific events.

The movie, written by Elena Serra and Alberto Marini and directed by young Spanish director Paco Plaza, is not only beautiful and artfully gothic in the visual sense, but it’s also well-acted and quite compelling. The cover art on the DVD will lead you to believe that The Werewolf Hunter: Legend of Romasanta is a hackles-up horror movie, but as far as the genre goes it’s more along the lines of The Brotherhood of the Wolf or The Company of Wolves than it is, say, An American Werewolf in London or Wolfen. I like all of those movies I just mentioned, but I think it’s worth noting that in The Werewolf Hunter: Legend of Romasanta you are getting more historical drama than you are bone-cracking werewolf transformations.

Sands offers up his most full-bodied performance in years, and he is well-supported by Elsa Pataky and the rest of the cast. John Sharian is excellent as a cursed soul, and David Gant provides the gravitas.

In spite of the fact the film is more drama than horror there are some rather gruesome scenes of butchery — a word of warning to bird lovers! — that include the torture of animals, the butchery of women, and the laying bare of cadavers in autopsy. The Werewolf Hunter: Legend of Romasanta cleverly exploits everything lovers of dark fantasy and horror crave: suspense, terror, and the beauty in evil. All of these elements are interwoven into the story, rather than simply being put there to horrify.

Real wolves, striking horses, and colorful songbirds flitting across the screen add to the visual extravaganza provided by award-winning cinematographer Javier Salmones. The movie was shot on location in the Spanish countryside, using rolling hills, lush meadows, dark forests, and magnificent waterfalls to their full glory.

Some viewers looking for a werewolf free-for-all might be put off, but if you’re willing to reset your attention span and take this compelling historical fantasy at its own pace you won’t be disappointed.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson