aka: Francis Girod's L'état sauvage (The Savage State)
Film Synopsis
Corruption and racism are rife in a small African country which has
recently gained its independence, according to a pamphlet.
Certainly, trafficker Antoine Gravenoire seems not have been affected
by the transfer of power following decolonisation. The blacks may
occupy the prominent positions of state, but it is still the whites who
run the show, from behind the scenes. When the minister of health
is assassinated, his mistress, a white woman, flees to her former
husband. Will the two escape or will they have to face the mercy
of the lynch mob..?
It was American film noir and pulp fiction that kick-started the craze for thrillers in 1950s France and made it one of the most popular and enduring genres.
With so many great films to choose from, it's nigh on impossible to compile a short-list of the best 15 French films of all time - but here's our feeble attempt to do just that.