Film

The Savage State

1978 · 1h 52m · Drama

IMDb

5.9

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.

Marie-Christine Barrault

Laurence Laurençon

Claude Brasseur

Gravenoire

Jacques Dutronc

Avit

Doura Mané

Patrice Doumbe

Michel Piccoli

Orlaville

Baaron

Modimbo

Umban Gomez de Kset

Kotoko

Jean-Baptiste Tiémélé

Gohanda

Rüdiger Vogler

Tristan

Peter Bachelier

Renard

Philippe Brizard

Paul

Pierre Walker

Swiss Minister

Marblum Jequier

Swiss Minister

Celia

Irène

Sidiki Bakaba

Comac

Isabelle Gautier

Woman of Gravenoire

• Francis GirodProducer · Writer · Director
• Georges ConchonWriter
• Michel PiccoliProducer
• Pierre LhommeDirector of Photography
• Pierre JansenOriginal Music Composer
• Geneviève WindingEditor

Release date

April 18, 1978

Status

Released

Original language

French

Runtime

1h 52m

Genres

Drama