Alexandre (Alain Delon) is an ageing writer who lives as a monarch in the depths of Mexico. Surrounded by his court (strange and mysterious characters), he staves off boredom with alcohol, boxing, women and ballooning. Desiring to acquire the adaptation rights of Alexandre's first novel, film producer Filippi (Karl Zéro) and his actress Laure (Arielle Dombasle) soon arrive in the life of the celebrated author. Alexandre and Laure gradually become closer and set off extreme passions in the heart of the community.
The film opened in France on 74 screens and grossed $236,256 in its opening week, ranking 14th at the box office.[4]The Independent described Day and Night as "an unmitigated critical disaster and a complete box office flop".[5] When the film premiered at the 47th Berlin International Film Festival in 1997, hundreds of journalists walked out of the screening and those that stayed audibly ridiculed the film.[6]Day and Night was considered the worst French film since 1945 by Cahiers du cinéma, and considered as a possible "worst film in history" by the French version of Slate.[7]Variety claimed that the film was, "Laugh-out-loud awful without touching the cult realm of 'so bad it's good". Françoise Giroud stated "It's a bad movie, there's no question",[6]L'Humanité called it an "Absolute debacle",[8] and Michel Houellebecq referred to it as the "most preposterous film in history".[9] English-language film site /Film described its status as "one of the worst foreign language movies ever made".[10] An original documentary, Anatomy of a Massacre, was released with the Day and Night DVD, and focused on the film's intense negative reception and failure.[11]
^Roberto Chiesi Alain Delon 2003- Page 105 "Lévy avait présenté Le Jour et la nuit comme une histoire bigger than life, propre à évoquer l'atmosphère romanesque des mélos des années ..."
^Philippe Durant Alain Delon/Jean-Paul Belmondo: Destins croisés -2004 Page 97 - "De même, Delon se retrouva sur le plateau de Bernard-Henri Lévy, grand condottiere intellectuel. Mais Le Jour et la nuit ne méritait pas son casting. Un coup d'épée dans l'eau pour Jean-Paul et Alain."
^Le Figaro magazine - Issues 849-852 - Page v 1997 Un rôle d'écrivain exilé Dans Le jour et la nuit. le premier film de fiction de Bernard-Henri Lévy. Alain Delon interprète un écrivain que l'inspiration a abandonné. Comme dans « Variations énigmatiques », la pièce qu'il a jouée cet hiver au ...