This film was a succès de scandale when it was released twenty years ago, and although (in Europe and America) HIV is not the death sentence that it was at the time, the film still packs an emotional wallop. It is the portrait of a completely self-centered man who is willing to put others at risk in search of his own pleasure and self-actualization. Is he a despicable character? Yes. Does that mean the film is automatically bad? No,however...The film contains too many unfocused scenes of characters lashing out. By the fourth or fifth scene of the young female protagonist screaming on the phone, screaming in the street, screaming at the door of the apartment, it becomes overdetermined. The film tries to tackle too many subjects--sadomasochism, skinheads, internalized homophobia, bisexuality, AIDS and responsibility, teenage love... it ends up something of a hot mess. I gave it six out of ten because I feel that it is worth seeing, because it captures a certain zeitgeist of the pre-antiretroviral moment, but one does feel a bit on watching it today that it has not aged all that well.

...but pictures a completely different perspective on HIV and AIDS. No supportive family here. No struggle with society for it to acknowledge on our humanity, regardless of sexual preference or health status. This picture is an invaluable reference for all those trying to understand terminal disease -AIDS in particular- or in the process of facing death. Just seems important to mention that Collard's actual treatments were filmed and included on the final cut. The bouncing around of high-low's, from absolute certainty of overcoming the disease to deep depression and sending everything -love included- straight to hell. But also the dangerous and sometimes silly sense of humor with which the director plays his role, is what makes this movie invaluable to me. To my knowledge this is the first film in which HIV positive blood is used as a defensive weapon, and saves the life of two of the characters. I sincerely hope that there is some form of afterlife, and that they have cable. Collard deserves to know he was, is, deeply appreciated, as so many others who where "cheated" out of time, to see their work achieve recognition. One is what one does, they say.

"Savage Nights" is a character driven film about an HIV+ bisexual man and his love affairs, particularly with the female lead. As is often the case with Europics, especially French films, this movie is not so much a story as it is a study of behavior. In this case the behavior is of interest because the male lead, who really was HIV+ and died from AIDS at age 35, continues to lead a life of promiscuity in spite of his affliction, wrestling with his awareness of his disease, his inability to reconcile himself to his fate, and the temptations represented by his love interest and sexual partners. Unfortunately, "Savage Nights" is a journeyman film at best which grows tedious quickly as it gets wound up in its own confused emotions. However, it does have a sort of intriguing honesty about it and rejects the pity which is so often a part of films about people with HIV.

I should probably take back the word masterpiece since Cyril Collard's directorial debut was actually his only film. The director, writer and main character of the film died just three days before his film swept the Caesars(the Oscar's french counterpart). Collard died of AIDS and brought to life one of the most compelling films surrounding this theme. It is not just people whining because of the departure of the beloved one but a tour de force involving hatred, passion, self destruction, and all those "nice" feelings that accompany a person who knows that he will die sooner than the rest, and culminating in spiritual redemption. This film also portrays one of the finest love triangles on film; the at times sickening at times profoundly erotic and at times inevitably cathartic relationship between Jean and his two lovers is a genius example that love is not "Sleepless in Seattle". Romane Bohringer(probably best known for her character as Verlaine's wife in Total Eclipse) is a must see in her breakthrough performance as a confused and VERY passionate young girl.