Equator (1983) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

1983 · 85 mins · French

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Directed by

Serge Gainsbourg

Starring

Barbara Sukowa, Jean Bouise, Julien Guiomar, Francis Huster, François Dyrek, Franck-Olivier Bonnet

Based on a Georges Simenon novel, director and songwriter Serge Gainsbourg immerses the tale of a man’s African journey with dark emotions and subtle brutality. The thin plot follows his obsessive love for a murderous woman, whose amorality drives him back to Europe. Critics find the film frustrating and self‑centered, questioning its clichéd, stereotypical view of “dark Africa.”