BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE

(2007)


Page contents by Dannial Huang, English 338, November 2009.


Notes: Berrick Filmproduktion, 98 minutes.
Vivian: Agnes Bruckner
Aiden: Hugh Dancy
Gabriel: Oliver Martinez
Rafe: Bryan Dick

Directed: Katja Von Garnier


Summary: This movie is set in Romania. It begins with Vivian jogging through the streets. While she is running she flashes back to her parents' murder. She was young when they were killed and then sent to her aunts. Vivian ends up at a church and finds Aiden drawing in his sketchbook. Aiden tells her that he's doing research about werewolves for his latest graphic novel. Vivian looks as his sketches and is a little worried, being a werewolf herself. She then runs off and finds Gabriel in her room. Gabriel is the leader of her pack and tells her that every seven years the leader picks a new mate. It is soon realized that Vivian is supposed to be married off to Gabriel.

Rafe is Vivian's cousin and Gabriel's son. He is seen chasing a tourist around during the night who doesn't give him any attention. A few nights later the tourist goes back to her room to find Rafe in there. She makes it known that she is not interested in him and Rafe, hearing this, changes in to a wolf and kills her. The next morning Aiden sees Vivian walking and calls out "wolf girl" which startles her and she runs off. Shocked that she ran off Aiden began to chase her. Vivian scales the walls and loses Aiden.

Later that night Vivian and Rafe go to a pack meeting, where there are many werewolves gathered together for a hunt. A human is brought out and Gabriel tells him, "there is a river to the west; if you reach the other side then you are free." The man is untied and free to run. He staggers to his feet in a dazed confusion and begins to run. The werewolves give chase showing their animal-like agility. Halfway through the chase the werewolves begin to change to wolves while still chasing the man. Vivian is the only werewolf not to participate in the hunt. However, it is obvious that she is fighting off the urge to join the hunt. Finally the man is caught and devoured by the wolves.

The next day the newspaper's headline show that a tourist has been murdered. Gabriel questions Rafe if he had any part of the murder. Rafe replies no and knows that hunting outside the pack is against the code of the pack. Vivian is seen working in a chocolate shop where she is visited by Aiden. Vivian refuses to see Aiden until he threatens to come buy chocolates everyday until she agreed to go on a date. Later that night on their date Vivian, to Aiden's surprise, has an extensive knowledge of werewolves. Vivian takes Aiden on an adventure and at the end they kiss, which shows their growing affection for each other. During another date they are interrupted by Rafe who tells Aiden that she is promised to someone else. Aiden becomes confused and is dismissed by Vivian.

Rafe goes to Gabriel and tells him of what he has witnessed between Vivian and Aiden. Gabriel tells Rafe to strike fear in to Aiden so he leaves town. Aiden finds a note that states a meeting place and time. Thinking that it is from Vivian he goes only to find Rafe. Aiden refuses to leave town and they begin to fight. Rafe changes in to a wolf and begins to attack. The wolf bites at Aiden and accidentally bites in to his silver necklace. Doing so causes the wolf to become dazed, giving Aiden a chance to regroup. Aiden takes the necklace and thrust is into the wolf, which poisons and kills Rafe.

Gabriel is devastated when he finds out Rafe is dead. They capture Aiden and put him in the hunt as the prey. Gabriel gives the same speech saying if he makes it across the river he would be free. Aiden begins running and as he is running wipes his blood on trees and rocks to throw off the scent. He finally reaches the other side of the river, but is still attacked by Gabriel. Aiden is confused on why he was still being attacked, and he pulled out a silver butter knife. Right when Gabriel was about to attack another wolf comes and strikes him. Both wolves wrestle around and Gabriel is thrown in the river. Aiden cuts the wolf who saved him, because he was scared soon realizes that it was Vivian that he has poisoned with the silver.

Aiden picks up Vivian and they flee. They hide out in an old film factory, because is it completely surrounded by silver. She says the werewolves won't go near it because there is even silver in the air, which could potentially poison them. After they hide out for awhile they go to a clinic where there is an antidote for the silver poison. The man in the clinic hits an emergency button which send there werewolves after them. Vivian tells Aiden to run while she fights them off. He escapes while Vivian is captured. Aiden returns to the clinic to get supplies to fight the werewolves.

Aiden goes to rescue Vivian and an epic battle between Aiden and Gabriel ensues. Just when Gabriel is going to finish off Aiden, Vivian picks up a shotgun loaded with silver shots. Gabriel ask, "can you really kill your own?" and changes into a wolf. Vivian whisper, "I can't," over and over again. Just as Gabriel is in mid-jump about to attack Aiden, Vivian shoots and kills Gabriel. They both escape to Paris together to hide out from the other werewolves.

Commentary: This movie shows more of the animalistic side of werewolves in the fact that they hunt in packs. However, they are not as bloodthirsty as traditional werewolves. Another big difference was how organized they were. They had codes/rules that had to be followed. This idea of organization does not follow the traditional scattered attacking werewolves. Also the traditional werewolf hunts alone, but in this movie they were forbidden to hunt outside the pack. There is also a struggle for identity within Vivian. Her refusal to participate in the werewolves' ceremonial hunt shows that she doesn't like the animalistic side, even though her body ached to join the hunt. Her identity crisis reached its peak when she was given the ultimatum of choosing to kill Gabriel or letting Aiden die. She chooses to live a human life with Aiden, but that doesn't mean her struggle is over, because she will physically be a werewolf no matter what she chooses.

[NB: This film is obviously influenced by "The Other Side."]


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