Wolfen (1981)

Wolfen (1981)

Werewolves have been a big part of the horror film genre since Universal's 1935 classic Werewolf In London.  Most of the werewolf films, are based on a European mythology of werewolves, and many pulling their "rules" from Universal's 1941 classic Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney Jr..   Wolfen from 1981 however is a uniquely American werewolf film, rooted in Native American mythology, where the idea isn't so much rooted in lycanthropy, but instead the idea that a person can swap spirits with a wolf, so rather than actual "werewolves", Wolfen is about wolf spirits, making it a unique entry in the werewolf film genre.   

Wolfen was directed by Michael Wadleigh, with a screenplay by David M. Eyre Jr, Michael Wadleigh, and Eric Roth (uncredited).  The film is based on Whitley Strieber's 1978 novel The Wolfen.   The film was produced by Orion Pictures, and distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures in 1981.  The film received positive reviews from the critics, however was a box office flop, grossing $10.6 million against its $17 million budget.   

Wolfen stars Albert Finney as Dewey Wilson a detective assigned to investigate a brutal killing of a wealthy land developer, Diane Venora plays his partner a criminal psychiatrist named Rebecca Neff, Edward James Olmos plays Eddie Holt a Native American that Dewey investigates in relation to the murders, Gregory Hines plays Whittington a police forensic scientist who helps Dewey, Tom Noonan plays Ferguson who is an expert on wolves at the Central Park Zoo, and Dick O'Neill plays Dewey's boss Warren.   This film has a fantastic cast, though Dewey is a bit of a stereotypical rogue detective that was a trope in films of that era, though partnering him with a woman, and having the forensic scientist that helps him extensively being a black character were definitely bold casting choices that definitely set the film apart as being more progressive as far as casting goes than other films of the era.   Other than the character of Dewey, being a bit cliche, the film is populated with some great characters, and they feel like natural parts of 1981 New York City, which was a far different city than it is today.  The setting and time period of New York City is a character itself in the story, this film shows the rampant urban decay of the South Bronx in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the city has a darker more rundown look than the city does today, and that plays a huge part in the story, as the story does touch on issues of classism, and social injustice.  Overall this film was really well cast and really well written. 

Wolfen is an intelligent take on the werewolf genre, that touches on issues of environmental destruction, urban decay, and social issues of class and race.  The film also uses some interesting filming techniques that make it so that the viewer can see through the eyes of the Wolf, adding this awesome eeriness to the film, and helps to create an atmosphere that helps the film to work so well.  This film would pioneer effects that would later be used in films like Predator.  It is sad that Wolfen didn't do better in the box office at the time, because it really is a great film, and one that I would say is a must-see film because it transcends being just a horror genre film, and is super well done and well written.   Some of the film definitely feels dated, but I feel like it is just as relevant today as when it was written.   If you have not yet seen Wolfen, I highly recommend checking it out, definitely a film that belongs in every film collectors library.  So if you ever come across a copy of this great classic film, don't pass it up.