Hyènes (1992)

Director:

Djibril Diop Mambéty

Writers:

Djibril Diop Mambéty (writer)
Friedrich Dürrenmatt (play)

Release Date:

9 September 1993 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A once-prosperous Senegalese village has been falling further into poverty year by year until the village's...

Plot Keywords:

Animal In Title | One Word Title | Foreign Language Adaptation | Based On Play

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ami Diakhate	...	Linguere Ramatou
Djibril Diop Mambéty
Mansour Diouf	...	Dramaan
Calgou Fall	...	The Priest
Faly Gueye	...	Mme. Drameh
Mamadou Mahourédia Gueye	...	The Mayor
Issa Ramagelissa Samb	...	The Professor

Also Known As:

Hyenas
Ramatou (Senegal: Wolof title)

Runtime:

USA:110 min | Argentina:110 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Country:

Senegal

Language:

Wolof

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Colobane, Senegal

Company:

ADR Productions

Movie Connections:

Version of Der Besuch der alten Dame (1959) (TV)

jilted woman gets even in Senegal

Les Hyenes...the hyenas interested me because it takes place in Senegal. I like foreign movies because it is a way of travelling. But what a Senegal! The movie is laden with dystonic visual symbolism that resembles that 1920s version of the Bride of Frankenstein (I bet I am close believe it or not). In any case it is out of place in a poor 3rd world country..it looks like you are mocking them.

The result makes them look like they all wear flour sack clothes and live in absolute destitution. I doubt any of the cast truly understood the deep symbolism of having gold colored shoes made in Upper Volta? The deep symbolism is of course that they are slowly being corrupted into killing a man for money. Wow! What an idea lets use gold to show greed and sagging dirty French flags to symbolize?? The evil of colonialism? Beats me-- Senegal gained it's independence from France in 1960. This movie is supposed to take place in the 1980s. Must be a leftist stab at colonialism.

Oh the story.... a woman seeks revenge for having been dumped in her youth and forced into prostitution because she got pregnant and her lover wanted to marry someone richer. A Danielle Steele novel line. She some how becomes richer than the World Bank (an institution on the tongues of every peasant in Senegal). This prostitute acquires hundreds of millions of dollars (how? in a country like Senegal?) As mentioned earlier the movie is laden with too much visual symbolism...everyone starts wearing gold colored things (get it?) and their hair starts to look like a hangman's rope etc... It is the kind of downer visual symbolism that creates unease and a desire to get out of where ever it is as quickly as you can.

Poor Senegal if these are the only images people associate with it.

I gave it 2 stars because frankly some of the visuals are unforgettable including a Citroen deux chevaux convertible (it is not a Peugeot as another writer says).