New Showbiz

You are here:
The Savage State

The Savage State

1978

Director

Francis Girod

Runtime

112 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

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.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.9/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The film does not center on queer identities or non-heteronormative orientations. While it explores the breakdown of social mores through interracial intimacy, it lacks specific queer or gender-nonconforming character arcs.

Gender Representation

Good

Laurence serves as a central catalyst rather than a submissive figure. Her autonomy drives the plot and forces male characters to react, critiquing the patriarchal and colonial control exerted upon her.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

The film offers a sophisticated critique of prejudice from both French colonialists and emergent African power structures. The interracial relationship between Laurence and Patrice Doumbe dismantles notions of racial homogeneity.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The narrative deconstructs Western institutional stability by portraying both colonial and nationalist governments as prone to corruption. It uses the shifting political landscape to explore the collapse of traditional social morality.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no discernible evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the narrative.

Strengths

  • Provides a nuanced, dual-sided critique of racial prejudice in both colonial and post-colonial contexts.
  • Centers female agency through Laurence, using her autonomy to drive the central conflict.
  • Avoids romanticized tropes by depicting systemic corruption within both the old and new power structures.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks explicit representation or character arcs centered on LGBTQ+ identities.
  • Provides no discernible portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

AI Analysis

Francis Girod’s adaptation provides a biting, dual-sided examination of racial and social hierarchies. By refusing to romanticize either the departing colonialists or the new African state, the film avoids the typical tropes of historical drama. It presents a world where systemic prejudice is a shared human failing. The film's strength lies in its refusal to provide a comfortable moral center. Instead, it uses the central interracial romance to expose the friction between old colonial legacies and post-colonial transitions. This approach creates a complex, non-idealized view of a changing political landscape. While the film excels in racial and cultural critique, it remains limited in its exploration of other identities. The focus on political and racial friction leaves little room for LGBTQ+ representation or disability visibility.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.