SAVAGE NIGHTS
A Film Review by Michael J. Legeros
Copyright 1994 Michael J. Legeros
Art *is* life in SAVAGE NIGHTS, the compelling but overlong story of a dying man who learns to love. The final feature from French filmmaker Cyril Collard, who died of an AIDS-related illness a year ago March, swept the Cesars (winning Best Movie, Best Debut Film, Best Editing, and Best New Actress) three days after its maker met its maker.
Adapted from Collard's autobiographical novel (and starring himself!), SAVAGE NIGHTS opens in 1986, the year the young filmmaker learned of his infection after returning to Paris from a shoot in Morocco. The news doesn't exactly deter his daring and Collard, who is bisexual, continues on an exceedingly reckless lifestyle that, eventually, transforms both himself and his lovers, Samy (Carlos Lopez) and Laura (Romane Bohringer).
SAVAGE NIGHTS takes a bit too long to get where it's going, but the direction is great and, as an AIDS-related drama, the film runs rings around anything Hollywood has the courage to create. Watch Romane Bohringer refuse a condomn from her HIV-positive lover and you'll never view screen-sex the same.
Grade: B
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