The Wolf
“The Wolf” is directed by Shane Morrisun, Joshua (played by Morrisun) has been working at Wilhelm’s ranch for years when a newcomer named Buck (played by Lenni Uitto) arrives, buying up the land and buying out ranchers. Joshua is the last to surrender what he’s worked so hard for – the ranch and all of its land – set to be his when Wilhelm dies. But there’s a history longer than a single Land Baron and a hard-working ranch hand. Joshua and Bruck have been through this struggle before in other lives as the scene is set for them to confront each other once again.
The film opens up with text saying that describes a humans soul and comparing it to a wolf’s soul. The idea is that a soul can reincarnate into a different life and a different role of a “pack”. Joshua and Buck have been in the same situation before, where one ended up being the hunt-ee and the other the hunter, and in this short film the roles are reversed, but will they be able to change their destiny?
With this being a western paired with a sci-fi twist, I felt right at home. Not only is the concept and idea really interested, but it’s executed pretty well as well. I liked the score that they used for the opening credits, while you are watching both Joshua and Buck preparing for battle in their own respects. The dialogue was clear and easy to follow and makes it so you don’t really know who to root for between the two of them. The acting from both Morrisun and Uitto is dynamic, you can’t take your eyes away from the both of them.
Overall the film has a very suspenseful tone, as it is essentially a standoff that has been in the making for years. The idea that their spirits traveled to other beings, and said beings met each other again is also really interesting, something I would like to have seen more backstory on. You can tell with both performances that the characters have a lot of baggage and that it isn’t enough to just settle a score, I loved the depth they went to show their relationship and helped make it so much more epic in scale as opposed to a couple random people who you don’t know anything about.
The camerawork and cinematography were good, with many up close shots of the performers. I like the choice to mainly focus on the actor’s faces during the standoff, in a way giving the audience a “tunnel-vision” effect that was used very effectively. The framing and sound design in the short was detail-oriented and simplistic in its execution. Overall, I had a good time watching “The Wolf”. There is a surprising amount of depth to both the main characters, with a unique concept of reincarnation. If you like old westerns like back in the days of Clint Eastwood or John Wayne, then consider checking this film out.
