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April 28, 2026

One Must Rebel Against the Absurdity of the World

French director, screenwriter, and producer François Ozon (1967), creator of cult films such as: 'Sitcom', '8 Women', 'Swimming Pool', 'The New Girlfriend', 'Frantz', 'By the Grace of God', last year made a black-and-white film adaptation of Camus' 'The Stranger', which is now also showing in Serbian cinemas distributed by 'MegaCom Film-MCF'.

One Must Rebel Against the Absurdity of the World

TL;DR

  • Ozon's film adaptation of Camus' 'The Stranger' is in black and white to retain the atmosphere of the original time, filmed in 2025.
  • The film aims to explore the absurdity of the modern world, a theme that resonated with Ozon's initial idea for a different film.
  • Ozon addresses the problematic depiction of the Arab character in Camus' novel, giving him a name in his adaptation due to modern sensibilities and the echoes of invisibility faced by Arabs in Gaza.
  • Camus is presented as a thinker of nuance and complexity, opposing dictatorships and totalitarianism, which led to him being attacked by communist intellectuals.
  • Ozon was inspired by the idea of the Arab character's brother in Kamel Daoud's 'The Meursault Investigation' and the need for the film to begin in the present day.
  • The director discusses the challenges of adapting a masterpiece like 'The Stranger', acknowledging that he may not fully understand every aspect of the book or its protagonist.
  • Ozon cast Benjamin Vasseur, known for his extroverted roles, and guided him towards restraint and embodying the mystery of Meursault, drawing inspiration from Robert Bresson's directorial approach.
  • Meursault's rebellion, as depicted in the final scene before the priest, is framed as a moment of liberation against the absurdity of the world.
  • The character of Meursault is fascinating because he always speaks the truth, does not play societal games, and struggles with the concept of love, finding it senseless yet understanding its importance to others.
  • The film attempts to approach Meursault sensually in the first part and understand Camus' thought without explicit philosophical interpretation in the second part.

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