Time of the Wolf

For the 2002 American film with the same title released the previous year, starring Burt Reynolds and Marthe Keller, see Time of the Wolf (2002 film).

Time of the Wolf (French: Le temps du loup) is a 2003 French dystopian post-apocalyptic drama film written and directed by Austrian director Michael Haneke. It was released theatrically in 2003. Set in France at an undisclosed time, the film follows the story of a family: Georges, Anne (Isabelle Huppert), and their two children, Eva (Anaïs Demoustier) and Ben (Lucas Biscombe). The film also stars Olivier Gourmet and Serge Riaboukine.

The film takes its title from Völuspá, an ancient Norse poem which describes the time before the Ragnarök, the end of the world.

Plot

A disaster of some type has occurred, of which the audience only knows that uncontaminated water is scarce, and livestock has to be burned. Fleeing the city, the Laurent family arrives at their country home, hoping to find refuge and security, only to discover that it is already occupied by strangers.

The family is assaulted by the strangers and forced to leave, with no supplies or transport. As they seek help from people they have known in the village, they are repeatedly turned away. The family makes its way to a train station where they wait with other survivors, in the hope that a train will stop for them and take them back to the city.

Cast

• Isabelle Huppert as Anne Laurent
• Daniel Duval as Georges Laurent
• Béatrice Dalle as Lise Brandt
• Patrice Chéreau as Thomas Brandt
• Rona Hartner as Arina
• Maurice Bénichou as M. Azoulay
• Olivier Gourmet as Koslowski
• Brigitte Roüan as Béa
• Lucas Biscombe as Ben
• Hakim Taleb as Young runaway
• Anaïs Demoustier as Eva
• Serge Riaboukine as The leader
• Marilyne Even as Mme Azoulay
• Florence Loiret-Caille as Nathalie Azoulay
• Michaël Abiteboul as The Armed man
• Branko Samarovski as Policeman

Release

The film was screened in the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, out of competition. Patrice Chéreau, a member of that year’s jury, stars in the film, which made the film ineligible for any award. The film also screened at the Sitges Film Festival where it won Best Screenplay and was in the running for Best Film.

External links

• Official website (France)
• Official website (US)
• Le Temps du loup (Time of the Wolf) at IMDb
• Le Temps du loup (Time of the Wolf) at Box Office Mojo
• Le Temps du loup (Time of the Wolf) at Metacritic