Review of Birds in Peru

Romain Gary directed this very obscure film version of his own short story and cast his then-wife Jean Seberg in the lead. It's a grueling experience. Seberg, looking stunning, is a nymphomaniac wandering a beach in Peru after a night of unhinged debauchery with multiple sex partners. She's pursued by wealthy husband Pierre Brasseur and his creepy chauffeur (nasty looking Jean-Pierre Kalfon) and finds refuge in a whorehouse run by an overly friendly madam (Danielle Darrieux!) as well as with disillusioned artist Maurice Ronet. It's all impossibly enigmatic, symbolic laden to say the least (note the always stalking vulture) and, unfortunately, never particularly compelling or entertaining. The music score by Kenton Coe is an asset, but there's very little else to recommend in this hard-to-find film.