Symbolism in The Company of Wolves (1984)
This movie was launched in 1984 and directed by the Irish Neil Jordan. The cast includes actors such as Angela Lansbury, David Warner, or Sarah Patterson. If you're a bit fearful, be careful: it's a terror movie! Wondering if this film has received any awards? Exactly! Let's see some examples. The same year it was launched, it was nominated for BAFTA in the categories of Production, Design, FX, Costume, and Makeup. And it was awarded at the Sitges Film Festival as Best Film and Best Special Effects.
To end with this general information about the movie, let me say that it has a score of 6.5 in FilmAffinity and of 6.7 in IMBd.
First of all, I want to start by giving you a few tips before you watch the movie:
-DO NOT watch it alone and at night. There are scenes that can make you feel like a wolf is about to enter your room.
-DO NOT watch it immediately after or before eating. You'll find disgusting scenes, such as the one in which a man starts to peel off his skin and little by little becomes a werewolf (😖).
-Pay close attention to the film. There are many scene changes, flashbacks and flashforwards, alternation between dreams and reality... Don't even blink an eye, or you'll get lost.
That's all I can recommend.
Now, I want to highlight something that caught my eye from the very beginning: symbolism. If you pay attention to the details, you'll find that every single object or color is there for a reason. The most obvious symbol throughout the film is the red color (obviously, we are dealing with Little RED Riding Hood). The colors in the movie are dark tones, I imagine this is to inspire terror in the watcher. And there are several moments in the movie in which a red element (the cape, a lipstick, etc.) stands out from the rest of the dark tones. Traditionally, the red color has been used in movies, literature, theatre, or any other art, to represent passion, blood, power, and a long etcetera (see the image below). In this case, its meaning probably changes from one scene to another. The red color of the cape and the lipstick may represent the courage and empowerment of Little Red Riding Hood, while the blood may represent the general terrifying tone of the movie.
If you watch it, we will be glad to read in the comments your opinion about its symbolism, the elements that caught your attention, and what you think they represent.
By the way, it is free-to-watch on YouTube!
I hope you enjoy the movie and that you have enjoyed the post.
Claudia.
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