A study on apathy and the state of existence, Albert Camus’ The Stranger has always been one for the outsiders. But how far outside is subject to question. Using the French-Algerian backdrop, Meursault already stands in the metaphorical outskirts of its setting. Shown at this year’s London Film Festival, François Ozon’s version expands on the contentious aspect of the novel’s Algerian context. While there remains a lack of detail, this time it’s deliberate as a form of commentary. Giving names to the Arab characters in his feature emphasizes their dehumanization in the original prose. Camus’ writing – intentional or not – still conforms to a sort of discrimination. Ozon, however, contains this mistreatment of the Arabs in the fictionalized characters on-screen. He further amplifies their presence through the graffiti and newspaper clippings referring to the Algerian Liberation Front, and signs banning indigenous locals.
Starring Benjamin Voisin as the notorious Meursault, The Stranger is picturesque with varying and intricate degrees of tragic and comic. Absurd with a cruel edge, Camus’ book is split into two parts. There’s a sort of parallelism in this structure and its use of imagery that highlights the sunlight shooting off of the dagger and the gun. This new adaptation—steeped in greyscale yet still brilliant in setting visual atmosphere with the use of exposure and contrast—is alarmingly striking in conveying this familiar focal point. Ozon takes direction from Camus’ use of the sun and heat, creating a sense of suffocation within Meursault. However, he adds an erotic touch to this exchange. The camera work lingers on the Arab Moussa’s body – the sheen of sweat and the haze of Meursault’s perspective.
Having worked with Voisin previously on Summer of 85, Ozon’s slight queering of Meursault might be a callback to this project. But its importance lies in how it adds further to the already significant event of Moussa’s death. It carries a similar weight to its primary source: questions surrounding motive and purpose, the careless indifference to life, and a rebellious stand against society’s emotional expectations. But there’s also conformity and hypocrisy in Meursault’s actions. The sensual presentation of the murder adds a layer of sexual repression. By shooting Moussa, Meursault is abjectly killing a part of himself that further excludes him from society. His lack of empathy for Moussa and his sister also elucidates his own biases towards the Arab community. Rather than marking him as a rebellious anti-hero, Ozon instead amplifies how, in some ways, Meursault is subservient to the demands of his privileged environment.
There’s a delicate balance to Meursault, and Voisin executes it with ease. There’s charm in the way Voisin carries himself. It’s enough to understand why the likes of Marie and Sintès are drawn to Meursault. He is fragile and elegant in parts, yet his apathy shimmers with a ruthless edge; his earnest truthfulness makes him openly vulnerable, but his cold honesty renders him detached. This enigmatic mix of contradictions is further contoured by the stunning cinematographic and stylistic choices. Meursault is the centerpiece of The Stranger, so the narrative and framing never strays focus from him. The rest of the cast remain silently there, supportive without overtaking, yet impactful nonetheless. His shallow dynamic with Rebecca Marder’s Marie is fascinating. Her persistent patience and efforts to understand him add a slight humanity to Meursault. Still, there remains a meandering undertone in their development that accentuates the futility of their relationship.
Marie’s magnetic effect comes to a halt when confronted with her privileged ignorance. When she approaches Djemila, Moussa’s sister, Ozon once again brings to the forefront the forgotten piece of Camus’ puzzle—the Arab victim of Meursault. Meursault may face the consequences of his crime, but he is not really condemned for Moussa’s murder. The punishment is more so for not grieving his mother. Marie and Djemila’s exchange exposes this key detail with the latter reminding the former of how, despite the whole farce surrounding her brother’s death, his name remains forgotten. These two women, victims of men in different ways, presents the deep divide between class and race and the nuance in female oppression. This is a small moment, but its sentiment echoes strongly throughout the rest of the feature.
The second half of The Stranger does fall apart, and Ozon’s faithful adaptation of the text becomes its greatest weakness. While Swann Arlaud is always a welcome presence, his role as the priest in the last segment and its ensuing philosophical debate is a tedious endeavor to get through. What works on paper doesn’t always translate well on screen. This is one of the cases that requires creative liberty and reinvention from Ozon. One scene that strikes me as the perfect ending is Mersault’s vision of the beheadings before seeing an apparition of his mother. It encompasses a lot of Meursault’s internal monologue in the novel over public executions. This scene carries the familiar themes Camus explores in his writing: his absurdist indifference and acceptance of his death.
Most importantly, it’s a nod to the book’s closing sentiments regarding Mersault’s thoughts on his mother. The text details his understanding of her finding freedom in her ageing life. Still, there’s space for the audience to ruminate and interpret the mindset of this Meursault. The ghostly presence of his mother maintains the spiritual weight that the priest later adds without the exposition dump. Finally, it’s the one point in the picture that actually stimulates a sense of closure. Yes, questions remain. But they’re the kind of musings that don’t warrant an answer. Alas, The Stranger doesn’t close with that scene. Instead, it slugs through the rest of the literary classic with clunky and forced dialogue, almost to the detriment of the relaxed and crucial pacing of its first half.
Overall, The Stranger has the heart and aesthetic beauty of Camus’ writing. The black and white plunges viewers into this time period. It’s undeniably a marvel to watch purely from a cinematographic point of view. The casting is gorgeous, and Ozon’s vision updates the problematic erasure of Arabs in Camus’ novel. Still, it threads close to the line of its source material. It’s this insistence that leaves the piece floundering for seamless coherence, marring what could’ve been the perfect adaptation of this French literary staple.
That’s our thoughts on The Stranger by François Ozon at the London Film Festival. Have you read the Albert Camus classic? What do you make of Benjamin Voisin as Meursault? Have you seen anything else at this year’s festival? Share all the details with us on our Instagram or Twitter! You can also read this review of Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck from SXSW London Festival. If you want to read more about our other London Film Festival coverages, here’s our last article, The Mastermind Starring Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, Bill Camp and John Magaro @ London Film Festival.
