I couldn't take my eyes away, even though some scenes were so hard. Fascinating.

Not your average stoner flick. A true crime story with relatable characters and good pacing. I felt engaged the whole time, with the only apparent shortcoming being the acting, which isn't that bad really. If you like grass, you will probably find this interesting on more than one level. I would recommend it.

This is the great movie and must watch and I love the direction

While the story and the actors are doing a good job of keeping us enthralled to the screen for almost 2 hours, there's no denying that it is the scenery that is the true star of this movie. It's dazzlingly serene and vastly empty, which is something we should cherish deeply where ever we may still find it.

A movie worth watching, visually enchanting, fantastic photography, true story although the adaptation from the book obviously had to leave something out. Incredible training of 35 wolves that took 4 years...for this reason alone the movie is worth 5 stars.

7.0/10, my review: http://wp.me/p1eXom-2PG

good period pic/nature film about the wolves of mongolia (China)

When the man and the nature overlaps. A semi biographical adventure-drama from China directed by the French director known for 'Seven Years in Tibet'. He was chosen after many Chinese filmmakers refused to take the project, because of the dedication it required. The film highlighted the outcome of the two ethnic groups, Mongols and Hans overlapping with the mother nature. The film should have been one of the best in the line of 'Siberia Monamour', but there a few things that did not work in its favour. It was just like the 'Embrace of the Serpent', based on a person who went to a distant place with a motive, but learnt another thing. Especially realsing the value of the native people and their land and culture. The main character was totally resembling to the Brad Pitt's role from 'Seven Years in Tibet' and very inspiring. You learn nothing by observing afar, you have to get in and get along to gain knowledge of the place. So you have to be one of them in order to see through their eyes of the place and then would find its true identity. The tale begins in the late 60s during the China's cultural revolution. Two young students from Beijing sent to a remote place in the Inner Mongolia to teach the locals read and write. Instead, one of them gets interested in wolves and decides to study them by raising a cub. During that time, the confrontation between the wolves and for the human encroachment of their natural habitant determines the future of the grassland. The ultimate face-off between them ends with the emotional. "The problem for us Mongols is that our history wasn't written by us, but mostly by our enemies." When you don't belong to that place, you should not intervene in its natural order. The China's history is always bad when it comes to the land grabbing, either it is the ongoing South China Sea dispute or the Tibet and thousands of others. This is such a film made by China itself that spotlights their wrongdoings. Just see the film to know how much different the Mongolian, especially the nomad culture and the Han-Chinese. They' both saw the mother nature with different intentions. So imposing one land's rule to another does not work and that's the film's most important message. Very sad the film was not realistic since it was based on a real story. Visually it was very good, especially the locations were spellbinding and used so well to tell a story, but the animal behaviours were too silly, something like that happen in the children's stories. Then there's evidence the animals were harmed during making it, so feels uncomfortable in many scenes and I won't advise kids to watch it if they're very fond of the animals. In that angle this film got a completely a wrong motion picture rating. If you are a light hearted, you should as well turn away from it. Because even though they won't show the killings, in a few segment they were just graphics and make-up, but still you are definitely going to feel the pain, very disturbing film. In a few scenes, feels bad for what Mongols regrets for letting the Hans to do all the terrible things to their land despite at one stage of the history they were more superior than them. At least the film ended on a positive note, only because of the alteration in the screenplay from the controversial book. It was originally selected to represent the previous Oscars, but soon it replaced with another to avoid the International humiliation. I think the film was not that terrible, but not being true to the book was the issue. It is very hard to suggest it, it might upset you for the various reasons, so all I can say is choose wisely. 6/10

Photography outstanding and story line good. I rate this a five star. Excellent film.

A spectacularly beautiful film with a heart wrenching story of how "civilized" governmental officials thoughtlessly give orders following policies that do not take into account a knowledge of the natural world and upset age old balances, destroying the beauty that was the Mongolian grasslands, as man has been doing to the planet for millennia.

cinegeek.de Als die chinesischen Studenten während der Kulturrevolution in die Mongolei kommen, um den Menschen lesen und schreiben beizubringen, überreicht ihnen der alte Bilig ein hölzernes Teil. Auf ihre Verwunderung hin erklärt er, dass es zum Schutz vor Wölfen gedacht sei. Der Lernprozess verläuft in die umgekehrte Richtung. Nach sechs Monaten überlebt der Student Chen Zhen eine Begegnung, die alles für ihn verändert: Er trifft auf ein Wolfs-Rudel. Gemeinsam mit Bilig beobachtet er die Tiere, während der Alte die Mythologische Bedeutung von Mensch und Tier erklärt. Beide existieren miteinander. Es ist das Thema des Franzosen Jean-Jacques Annaud. Um die Individualität dieser Begegnung geht es ihm dabei weniger als vielmehr um das ökologische Gleichgewicht. Ein chinesischer Funktionär befielt, die Welpen der Wölfe zu töten, woraufhin das Rudel die Partei-Gesandten in einen Eis-See treibt. Hier wirken spektakuläre Kamerafahrten, die bombastische Musik von James Horner und 3D Technik miteinander. Ich hätte mir allerdings gewünscht, dass Annaud auch den stillen poetischen Szenen so viel Mühe schenkt. mehr auf cinegeek.de

Flaws aside, i like this...nice top notch background movie if nothing else....beautifully shot with some amazing scenery and beautfiul wolves, the narrative is not great and overall there is the usual capability for boredom in all Jean Jacques Anaud movies...nonetheless, its a good adventure and beautiful to look at it and strongly crafted and directed...sounds dichotomous.....also, i like wolves

Gorgeous, thrilling, and spectacular is this wildlife film. Humans live the wild life, too. Annaud is a master director. I hope this film, director, and cinematographer, will be recognized. Thank you for such a beautiful film.

I thought this was a remarkable film, not only for the story, the visual splendor, but the acting, as well. Subtitles didn't hinder my enjoyment at all. i just hated for it to end. Not for small children.

Les personnages du film sont pratiquement secondaire tant le film est axé sur les magnifiques décors et les loups, malheureusement la trame narrative est un peu sacrifiée en retour

Too much digital effects, but, anyway, Annaud creates again a wonderful combination of good human story and nature.

The wolves are far more interesting than the humans.

Rich with imagery both stunning and occasionally harrowing, and while the filmmakers managed to cobble together stunning action setpieces with the wolves, the labor shows. Tonally uneven with bland performances from the humans. You're never transported while watching it, always aware of the cameraman or animal trainer just out of frame.

I found the story to be compelling. It is difficult to watch the destruction of nature and the destruction of humanity's connection to nature. It is difficult to watch how one act of greed can effect the fabric of a community down to the very ecology. The lessons of this movie are so harsh that if it weren't stunningly beautiful it would be unbearable to watch. I think the value of this film is lost on most because it is subtle. Devastatingly subtle.

Wolf Totem offers nothing but an exhilarating audiovisual experience. Its narrative is problematic as its murky messages do not penetrate too deeply. It's beautiful but forgettable.