Hyenas (1992 film)
Hyenas | |
---|---|
![]() film poster | |
Directed by | Djibril Diop Mambéty |
Written by | Djibril Diop Mambéty |
Based on | The Visit (1956 play) by Friedrich Dürrenmatt |
Produced by | Pierre-Alain Meier Alain Rozanès |
Starring | Ami Diakhate |
Cinematography | Matthias Kälin |
Edited by | Loredana Cristelli |
Music by | Wasis Diop |
Distributed by | California Newsreel Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
Country | Senegal |
Language | Wolof |
Hyenas (French: Hyènes) is a 1992 Senegalese film adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's Swiss-German satirical tragicomedy play The Visit (1956),[1] directed by Djibril Diop Mambéty. The intimate story of love and revenge parallels a critique of neocolonialism and African consumerism. It was entered into the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
Plot
[edit]Hyenas (Hyenas) tells the story of Linguere Ramatou, an aging, wealthy woman who revisits her home village of Colobane. Linguere offers a disturbing proposition to the people of Colobane and lavishes luxuries upon them to persuade them. This embittered woman, "as rich as the World Bank", will bestow upon Colobane a fortune in exchange for the murder of Dramaan Drameh, a local shopkeeper who abandoned her after a love affair and her illegitimate pregnancy when she was seventeen.
Cast
[edit]- Ami Diakhate as Linguère Ramatou
- Djibril Diop Mambéty as Gaana
- Mansour Diouf as Dramaan Drameh
- Calgou Fall as the priest
- Faly Gueye as Mme. Drameh
- Mamadou Mahourédia Gueye as the Mayor
- Issa Ramagelissa Samb as the professor
Critical response
[edit]Critical response to the film was mostly positive. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 91% of critics gave the film positive reviews. Hyenas was nominated for the Golden Palm Award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
- "A timeless story...The strong story line and fine ensemble acting provide a faster, more easily assimilated rhythm than many African films." - Variety
- "This pungent film adaptation's change of locale lends the tale a new political dimension...(Mambety) inflects the grim drama with an edge of carnival humor. This film carries a sting!" - The New York Times
- "This wicked tale, told with wit and irony, has all the ingredients of a crowd-pleaser." - The Village Voice
- "Funnier and warmer than Dürrenmatt ever dared to be but with the tale's bleak, ominous edges still in evidence." - New York Newsday
References
[edit]Notes
- ^ "Film Review: Hyenas". Ralph Dumain: "The Autodidact Project". Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ a b "Festival de Cannes: Hyènes". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 19 September 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
Bibliography
- "California Newsreel - HYENAS". California Newsreel. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
External links
[edit]- Hyenas at IMDb
- Hyenas at AllMovie
- Hyenas at Rotten Tomatoes
- Hyenas at the TCM Movie Database
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.