L'état Sauvage presents the tale of a wealthy French family living in Missouri smack dab in the middle of the American Civil War. The family had flourished for years, but now that it was becoming more and more apparent that the North would win the Civil War, and change was coming to the land, the family realized their way of living would not last much longer. Despite the hardship of doing so, the family decides to return to France. They hire a frontiersman who speaks French, and begin the treacherous journey East, in hopes of reaching the coast before things in the area get worse.
I’m always intrigued to watch a foreign film about the young America. Back in 2016, Dutch film director and screenwriter Martin Koolhoven gave us a chilling tale of the old west in the form of Brimstone. No matter how much cowboy gear, horses, wagons, and prairie land they pile onto the film, there’s still a recognizable tonal difference between these foreign takes on the Wild West and every American Western film you’ve ever seen. I absolutely loved the grim, brutal tale of Brimstone, and Koolhoven’s take on American pioneers. Unfortunately, I can not say the same for David Perrault’s Savage State.
The film opens with Victor, played by Kevin Janssens, caught in the middle of a deal gone south. On the run and trying to lay low, Victor agrees to lead a crew of men escorting a wealthy French family to the Atlantic Ocean to board a ship to France. The family, consisting of three daughters, a wife, a husband, and a “freed” slave that the husband had been sleeping with, didn’t offer much in terms of a compelling cast. The exception being Alice Isaaz’s portrayal of the family’s younger girl, Esther. Esther has a few rough edges, constantly rebels against what’s expected of her, and doesn’t seem to have a filter when it comes to speaking to her family members, or anyone for that matter.
I couldn’t help but think from a very early point in the film that this story would rely more on the artistic visuals of the past than on any depth of plot. While I’m not opposed to a lingering shot or soaking up a breath-taking landscape pan, especially when most of modern America doesn’t resemble the countryside it used to be, I felt the film drag often as the runtime crept along. Eventually I found myself aching for the movie to move and couldn’t care less about any atmosphere or scale that the film was trying to present. When the characters that I found most interesting in the beginning became less and less so, I all but checked out of the film. Not even the score, which at first was ambient and refreshing, could save the film, as it ended up repeating the same melody enough times to dull the shine.
I commend the director for attempting a Western so far removed from what most would expect a Western to be. At times, mostly in the beginning, I was intrigued by the scenery and the elements presented. Though the crawling pace of the film was blatant from the first few minutes, I remained hopeful that a slow-burning and beautiful tale of survival might exist within the 2-hour production. As excited as I was to dive into a completely different take on the American frontier, I couldn’t help but feel that the end product was just an empty mess. I give this film 1.5 out of 5 stars.
RORSHACH RATING:
Mental Health Moment: Whether I’ve just sat down for a long-anticipated mega blockbuster or a little known indie production, I try as hard as I can not to enter a film viewing with much to any expectations. When you set expectations or when you have high hopes about something, there’s a chance for disappointment. The cast of this film, the production quality, and the concept of a French depiction of the American Wild West certainly all factored in for some hopeful expectations for me. So, what do you do when faced with unmet expectations? How do you deal with disappointment?
To be fair, expectations for a film are far less important than other expectations most people face in their life. When things don’t go the way you hoped they would, don’t lose hope. I would advise you to take it all in, and then let it all go. How do you do that? First, take a minute to examine what happened; what you wanted to happen, and what actually happened. No matter how much you had riding on this event, know that it is but one of many events you will have in your life.
While it may have had significant importance, find a way to see it as a stepping stone to your next important venture. Then, once you’ve given it enough thought, let it go as quickly as you can. Hovering over something that you have no control over won’t do you any good. Release it from your mind, and focus on moving forward to your next obstacle. If you can, take with you whatever lessons you learned, and apply those to your next hurdle. If you blame yourself for these unmet expectations, forgive yourself and don’t harbor any shame. There’s more of your life ahead of you. Spend more time looking forward than looking back.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Savage State is property of Samuel Goldwyn Films. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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