Hyenas (1992)

The second (and final feature) by Senegalese filmmaker Djibril Dop Mambety is one of the most emotionally and spiritually devastating films I have seen in a long while. Taking place in a village that was once an oasis in the desert, but has now fallen into poverty, drought, and ruin, a village where even the town hall has been stripped of its furniture in order to pay debts off, most of the residents spend their days walking around town or hanging out at Dramaan's grocery. Dramaan is universally loved by everyone in the town, and even picked to be the next mayor before an election even happens. But everything changes when the old town beauty Linguere Ramatou returns from a thirty year sojourn abroad with more money than the World Bank. Old passions between Dramaan and Linguere are rekindled, and the town seems to be on the verge of a great renewal. That is until she announces what she expects in return for giving away her money: Dramaan's head. You see, he had betrayed her when they were young, impregnating her and then denying the act in front of the court sending her packing in shame and ruin. Now she wants revenge. As the townspeople become seduced by her gifts (air conditioners, televisions, an amusement park, the usual) they turn on their old friend and soon his life hangs by a tiny thread. Unlike Mambety's earlier feature Touki Bouki, which I felt played out more like an extended short, Hyenas is a fully realized work. One almost lives with the people in this film, and gets to know them the way they know their own close friends. The shots of the crumbling buildings, and desert vistas all evoke an atmosphere of desolation, but also of home and camaraderie. When tragedy ultimately does strike, it is all the more devastating. At times Mambety indulges in some slight surrealism, hungry animals watch from the periphery, people walk around in golden hats and yellow boots, and the soundtrack delves into everything from electronica to folk music. This is an essential work. Instead of re-releasing the same movies, Criterion should restore and release this one. What a shame Mambety died so young, he surely had more masterpieces to make.