The Maiden and the Wolves

Gilles Legrand, the accomplished French producer and frequent collaborator with Patrice Leconte (Ridicule), offers this magical Alpine adventure in his second directorial outing, which stars the famous model Laetitia Casta in the title role.

On the cusp of World War 1, in a small French town near the Italian border, the young Angèle saves an orphaned wolf cub from death and releases it back into the wild. Following the war, now grown up, Angèle is studying to become a vet but must battle against the prejudices of her male teachers. To complement her training she joins Zhormov, an adventurer who searches for wild animals. Their plane crashes and an injured Angèle is presumed dead. However, she is rescued by the wolf she herself saved as a child, along with his pack. On her return to the town she discovers that a developer, to whom her hand has been promised in marriage, is to exterminate the wolves in order to increase tourism. Together with a reclusive native of the mountains, Angèle sets about saving the creatures.

Legrand’s tale brings to mind other rousing animal adventures such as White Fang or The Call of the Wild. The lush photography captures the beauty of the mountainous setting of this well written film, which boasts top drawer performances from both humans and animals alike.