Customer Reviews

Werewolf Hunter - Legend of Romasanta

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A lot of people obviously don't get this film. To be fair, the way it's marketed sets you up for something totally different, a nice B-movie gore fest with scary monsters. But the most frightening thing about this movie is that it's a true account of the first documented serial killer. So the film really should have been under a different genre. It attempts (sucessfully) to portray a cold blooded killer who just happens to be a romantic at heart. You are thrust into his world of insanity and contradictions. At times he's gentle and sympathetic, and the next moment he's thrusting straws into bird's eyes. Julian Sands plays this part perfectly. At first sympathetic, and finally sadisitic, he reveals the killer over time, never quite letting on when he's going to snap. The director cuts back and forth between objective reality, and the fantastic delusions of the serial killer. Historically the film is set at a time in Europe when reason and science were struggling to replace folk lore and superstition. The director plays off that tension by leading us down the werewolf path with a truly repulsive physical transformation. But the credit for the most hideous transformation goes to Sands. Be warned. This movie does contain graphic images of violence against children. I could not believe one reviewer got all hacked off about the cruelty against animals, and overlooked violence against kids??? I'm a seasoned horror movie viewer and could barely watch some of the scenes.... However, this film is worth viewing. I'd put it in the same class as "CLose Your Eyes". These are psychological horror films which examine the most frightening monster known to man; himself.

Though not born in time for the 1980's werewolf phenomena I have always been an avid lover of the beasts. I rented Werewolf Hunter from Blockbuster one evening believing it was another werewolf B movie to suffer through for the sake of my passion. Oh how wrong I was.

Not being a traditional werewolf movie in any sense of the term, I can understand how a number of werewolf cinema buffs would not like this movie. It lacks any really memorable werewolf moments until near the end. Those who are interested in pre-modern serial killers or are more educated on the historical aspect of lycanthropy however, will be in for quite a treat.

Though I do not believe Julian Sands was the best choice for the portrayal of Romasanta, I believe he still did an excellent job and held my interest the whole way through. Some reviewers might not like his work (to say the least) however I enjoyed his roll both in this movie and in Rose Red.

The first half of the movie plays predominantly on building the scene and on explaining the nature of Romasanta's killings. I found the fact that he uses his victims' body-fat to make soap a very interesting twist to the tale. Though hardly scary in the least and lacking of any real 'action' the plotline is still very engrossing. The only downside is that it makes writing a positive review rather difficult without giving away a number of spoilers/enjoyable twists.

Where the first half of the movie shows you all the pieces the second half is what puts them all together. The movie plays heavily on the early use of lycanthropy to rationalize the existence of serial killers, albeit in a time period a century or two after it's popularity. It also includes the common element of mental illness amongst werewolf cases.

Historically Romasanta appears to have been the one with the mental illness, making up his story about being a werewolf to explain why he had done what he'd done. In the movie however, it makes his fantasy into a reality and it is not he but his partner who posesses the mental illness.

The writer of this movie obviously did quite a bit of research on historical werewolf accounts although, as most of Hollywood does, did not use it in an entirely correct manner. Despite all the flaws (only one real werewolf scene to mention) I believe this movie is still incredibly worth watching. Perhaps not worth purchasing at the price amazon is asking, but if you are a diehard werewolf fan like I am you'll want to get it anyway.

So I saw this movie right after I finished watching Mindhunters, and this was Werewolf hunter, so I got a double crazy movie treat in one day!

Set in the mid-19th century Europe,the movie is based on the true story of one of the earliest serial killers on record, perhaps one of the better movies with werewolf themes, since they have an actual historic backdrop to these brutal deaths commited. The message behind this movie is a mad man who killed women in a way that only an animal could have done it. It's not about a guy in a dog suit, this was deep.

The main reason why I saw this movie was that I fricken love werewolf movies, nothing creeps me out that a hairy beast, and that I loveded the Warlock movies with Julian Sands, and guess what; he plays the perfect bad guy AGAIN in this very movie!

Sands plays Manuel Romasanta, a charming and flirtatious man who seduces women only to leave a trail of corpses and scared animals who run away from him. He meets his own girm fate then one of his victims realises he did soemthing tho her sisters that cannot be forgiven , after she falls in love with him she starts a merciless hunt after him.

I really liked the movie, the woods, eerie darkness and violent scenes made this more of a serious movie. Usually werevolf movies are gory eye candy, that really dont need any plot, this was not the case.

THere is a bit of nudity, I was suprised to see so much naked flesh running around, but it was not over the top and it blended with the raw organic feeling of 1800s without looking cheap. I also loved the cinematography, this movie looked great on the screen, it did not look like actors in costumes, their faces, clothes, homes, and their whole world was old and forsaken, it was perfect.

Like many other features distributed under Brian Yuzna's Filmax production company, WEREWOLF HUNTER offers a surprisingly clean visual style, unique plot, and above average acting that far exceeds its direct-to-DVD release. The story is based on the historical account of a murderer that had killed over fifteen people throughout rural Spain, claiming that he was possessed by Satan and transformed in to a wolf at the time of the murders after finally being apprehended by the authorities. What is most interesting about this atypical werewolf film outside of the historical aspect is that Romasanta completely reverts back in to a wolf in the traditional sense (as opposed to the modern wolf-man). This allows for an impressive reverse-transformation sequence where the wolf sheds its skin and retakes the form of a man. Paco Plaza retains an air of ambiguity throughout the entire film, never letting on as to whether or not Julian Sand's tragic character is actually becoming a wolf, or whether his recollection of the events are trapped in fantasy and psychosis. With few exceptions, this small film provides strong performances and high production values. It may have been better sold in America under its original title ROMASANTA minus the garish cover art that sells it as just another throwaway video title. ROMASANTA was nominated for a number of Spanish awards, including two Goya Awards (Best Cinematography + Best Special Effects) and two Barcelona Film Awards (Best Film Editing + Best New Director).

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

Good story based in part on fact that takes place around 1850. So let's just say the DVD cover is a little misleading but not totally . This in fact is a story of a serial killer who needs to kill kids as well as pretty women. This killer is a wolf at heart and in one part changes from wolf to man, it looks pretty cool but is it real or in his mind ?
The settings, sets and actors are all top notch so this makes for a well made movie that is not the normal Hollywood slasher type werewolf film.
I like this film and if not for a few slow parts think it is well worth a look. Nudity violence and gore are part of the story but not over done.

This surreal tale has a folklore flavor. Though basically a horror, it also has a slight appeal for viewers with a romantic bone. A handsome werewolf (when in human form anyway) can't tame his appetite for human flesh, whether for food...or love. A young woman who has fallen in love with him must ignore her heart to help bring the half-wolf killer to justice. Will she be strong enough?

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

When I tried to google Romasanta , all my links went to sites discussing this DVD, and they just repeat the claims made on the back of the box : That there was a Romasanta, and he claimed to be a werewolf.Nor could I find him in any of my books devoted to true crime, serial killers, or werewolves.

Now, does this prove he never existed? No...But it is odd that 19th century killers like, say, Joseph Vacher have multiple pages , but a search on this killer doesn't pull up any information-...except about the DVD based on his (allegedly) true story.


This does not prove that Romasanta is fictional. I am inclined to believe there was a Manuel Romasanta-but the most abominable features of his serial killer career sounded suspiciously like what certain 16th and 17th century German and French "werewolves" did. I suspect that Romasanta's crimes were "jazzed up" with details from the atrocities of the "tailor of Chaluns" and Garnier and Grenier.

Be that as it may, I enjoyed this film, and I think it's a shame that it was marketed with such a hokey title. As we can see from the other reviews, it angers the horror fans who feel tricked, while turning off the true crime/psychological study aficionado. This film has decent acting , an absorbing story,realistic 1850s sets and clothing, and it was shot in some very beautiful countryside-you could find a much worse way to spend an evening than enjoying this moody ,at times almost surreal film .>

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Romasanta 2004 (Spain) Director: Paco Plaza. Romasanta is a gothic fable and a period piece of rare genius. The film is based on a true story of the serial killer Manuel Romasanta who murdered 13 people in 1850s in Spain. You could say that it is the original `Silence of the Lambs' although this is not true but there are some fundamental similarities.

The award winning cinematography is marvelous, the story unpredictable and the acting excellent. Truly unusual for this genre. Julian Sands and Elsa Pataky, the leading actors, are irresistible. What is interesting about the very well written script is that takes a humanistic and psychological point of view of the events and this gives the whole story extra depth and interest. Perhaps it is a little light on plot but that may have been a deliberate choice rather then invent too many new details that are not based on historical fact. I am not a historian but I was most impressed with historical accuracy of this film. Attention has been give to all little details of the time period and the result is that you completely believe that you are in the 1850s in Europe.

The story is partly told through the eyes of the main protagonist. Romasanta has a powerful animal magnetism and animal nature yet also the refinement and intelligence of a gentlemen and this is what makes him such an interesting character. He is not really a werewolf but he is certainly has a powerful animal nature. This film is as scary as hell and stands as a proud example in a genre plagued by stupid shock tactics and senseless gore.

Like many excellent movies that have come out of Spain I feel that this one never really got the attention it deserved. If it was released (and promoted) under one of the big American film studios it would have been a cult hit even though it would not have made it into the mainstream due to its horror genre. I loved this film and hold it as a rare gem. Do not miss this one. I gave this film an extra high rating based on its genre as either a serial killer film or a horror film.

If you do not enjoy the horror genre or are easily offended or have issues with violence or animals then please skip this film and refrain from writing bad reviews based on your issues. That is as ridiculous as watching a sci-fi film and then complaining that there was too much good science in it.

Don't forget you can click on the comment button to leave me a comment about this review.

Having literally just finished watching WEREWOLF HUNTER, the unfortunately titled latest offering from co-producer Brian Yuzna, I want to review this film before my initial impressions have faded or morphed into something else as they are prone to doing.

Set in Spain in the mid-19th century this is by no means a conventional werewolf movie. Rather it is the story of Manuel Blanco Romasanta who was supposedly the first documented serial killer, and definitely the only known serial killer to use lycanthropy as his defense when captured and brought to trial. Its a strange film that tries all at once to be a crime thriller, a horror movie, and a bizarre love story, with the result being that it is none of the above. Whether or not the film's claims that its story was based on actual events is a discussion best left for another day. Its depiction of a renowned scientist suggesting that the killer they are looking for may be killing due to his "genetic" make up may also be questionable. (Pretty advanced thinking to apply to human beings considering that Mendel was still tinkering around with his peas about that time.) And the love story? Well...

Those who go into this film looking for a good-time slash and gnash fest are going to be sorely disappointed. For much of the film's running time we are never certain that there IS or isn't a "werewolf" in the traditional sense involved. Are we dealing with the man who becomes a beast in the literal sense or in the simply in the figurative? Special effects fans will be annoyed because there is only one "transition" scene and that one is done in reverse--showing the wolf changing into a man rather than giving us what we are accustomed to seeing in films such as this. But as I said this film is far from typical. From the misleading title, to that picture on the cover which is nowhere to be found in the movie, WEREWOLF HUNTER is another in a series of recent films that have been misrepresented to their detriment.

This is a slightly flawed film structurally with the lack of continuity resulting in minor confusion, yet by and large it is a well mounted, handsome production that boasts some wonderful scenery and the kind of authenticity and atmosphere that only a European film can deliver. Some may quibble over casting Julian Sands as the lead. While I would never classify myself as a fan of his work, I did enjoy him in a sappy, romantic vampire flick called TALE OF A VAMPIRE and I don't believe that he did any irreparable harm to this film. The rest of the cast preformed admirably with special mention going to the female lead Elsa Pataky and to David Sharian who played Antonio, Romasanta's unwilling assistant. Those who are looking for moody, werewolf/serial killer gothic romance with several nasty severed body parts along the way should seek this movie out.

Werewolf Hunter: Legend of Romasanta (aka Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt or The Werewolf Manhunt) isn't your typical werewolf movie, as it focuses more on the man inside the wolf than the wolf inside the man. It also, almost by necessity, leaves open the question of whether or not the subject is indeed a werewolf. That's because the story is built upon the real-life story of Europe's first serial killer, traveling salesman Manuel Blanco Romasanta, the "Werewolf of Allariz" who confessed to killing thirteen people and using their body fat to make soap. Strangely enough, his confession that he suffered from the curse of lycanthropy helped him avoid execution and may well have resulted in a regal pardon had he not died soon after his conviction. Werewolf Hunter weaves a tapestry of fact and imagination, blurring the edges between the two, introducing a romantic angle to the story while also putting forth a purely fictional ending. I don't think it truly succeeds in its exploration of the mind and soul of this mass murderer, however; instead, it only muddies the waters of truth and speculation.

It's certainly a beautiful film, set against the Gothic backdrop of mid-19th century Gallicia, and it features strong performances by Julian Sands as Romasanta and Elsa Pataky as Barbara, the young woman he grows to love. Many of the locals of Allariz have gone missing in recent weeks, and the bodies so far recovered are rather baffling, for alongside the terrible gashes seemingly caused by a wolf are disturbing signs that a human removed most of the body fat for his own reasons. After her sister and niece are killed in horrible fashion, young Barbara develops a relationship with Manuel, a well-known traveling salesman who seems to offer her security and love. Manuel has a dark secret, though, which Barbara soon discovers. As soon as she learns that her lover is responsible for the deaths of her family, her affection turns to rage as she helps authorities track down and capture this hateful man. I thought Elsa Pataky was excellent in her role, but the romantic spin introduced into this story just didn't ring true to me, especially as Manuel's emotional U-turn seemed to come out of thin air.

If you're looking for one of those famous transformation scenes, you'll need to look elsewhere. The only such change in this film is a mud-covered one which may or may not have even happened, given the perspective of its presentation. You also won't see any first-hand kills; while there are a few good shots of gnawed human limbs, the vast majority of the blood and violence is implied. There is one case of male nudity that really should have come with some kind of warning, but that's it in terms of bare flesh. The film is officially unrated, but I believe there's a decent chance it might have received a PG-13 rather than an R rating from the MPAA.

In the end, we still haven't learned very much about Manuel and his motivations. We see the changes in his demeanor and hear the regrets he utters in the end, but it's impossible to determine which of his two natures is the true one. I guess that's really the point of the entire movie, to a large degree, but I would have liked to see this storyline wound a little bit tighter. I don't particularly like the "Legend of Romasanta" subtitle, either, as this film differs far too much from historical fact to deserve such a description. All in all, though, Werewolf Hunter is a darned good film that really stands apart from other entries in the werewolf genre.