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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1978
Runtime1h 52m
LanguageFrench
CertificationNR
GenresDrama
Votes6
DirectorFrancis Girod
WritersGeorges Conchon, Francis Girod
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.3 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsThe Savage State
About The Savage State
L'Etat Sauvage is based on the novel by Georges Conchon which won the highly esteemed Prix de Goncourt. The story chronicles the mindless racism of both the departing French colonial overlords and the emergent black Africans in a newly emerging African state. Laurence (Marie-Christine Barrault) suffers the outrage of her white acquaintances, including her former lover Gravenoir (Claude Brasseur) and her ex-husband Avit (Jacques Dutronc), for her affair with Patrice Doumbe (Doura Mane), an official in the new government. He in turn is ridiculed by his fellow cabinet ministers for stepping out with a white woman. The vilification escalates to such a point that Patrice is brutally murdered, and Laurence barely escapes the country alive, with the help of her ex-husband Avit.
Directed by Francis Girod, The Savage State leans on a strong ensemble — Marie-Christine Barrault, Claude Brasseur, Jacques Dutronc — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1978.
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