Indifference, colonialism, a murder trial, and a lot of sunshine in François Ozon’s black and white adaptation of Albert Camus’ novel L’étranger – The Stranger played at Manchester Film Festival 2026.
It’s been quite a while since I read Albert Camus’ novel L’étranger (probably in my late teens attempting to cultivate an air of coolness) but I still think it’s fair to say that François Ozon has stayed fairly faithful to Camus’ original text. I do think that the original English translation of the title (The Outsider) is a closer reflection of the young man at the centre of this narrative, however.
Because the young Monsieur Meursault (Benjamin Voisin) is perhaps strange, but not a stranger. Living in Algiers at a time when the country was French territory, Meursault has a job, neighbours whom he speaks to, and a girlfriend. So he’s not a stranger. He is, however, perhaps not like other people.
Meursault learns that his mother has died and so travels to her care home to attend the funeral the next day. Surviving on coffee and cigarettes, he shows no emotion at his mother’s passing, does not shed any tears at her grave, and returns to Algiers immediately, striking up a relationship with a young woman he meets at the beach – behaviour which will be to his detriment in future days when he finds himself on trial for killing a man.
Ozon’s black and white visuals cleverly capture a feeling of Algiers in the 1930s, and the wardrobe department also makes a huge contribution, particularly with the gorgeous high-waisted trousers and suits worn by the men. The film also manages to deal well with the fact that the novel is a first-person narrative, and yet hasn’t relied on voice over to explain everything. There are long stretches where nothing is said, and the viewer needs to just watch – made easier by the lovely visuals (cinematography by Manuel Dacosse).
Voisin has the toughest job, I think. Meursault is indifferent to everything, and appears to have no opinions or to not have given any thought to things. He will marry if that’s what his girlfriend wants. He will move to Paris if that’s what the boss wants. It’s only in the very final section where he interacts with the prison chaplain Swann Arlaud where he shows any emotion, giving us all the full force of his nihilism – we’re all going to die at some point anyway, what does it matter if it’s now or later?
Ozon’s film adaptation makes a couple of small steps towards acknowledging some of the colonialist attitudes present in the book, by actually naming the two main Arab characters, and hinting that, if Meursault could express himself otherwise, then the legal system would find a way not to convict a French settler of the murder of an indigenous person.
Overall though, by sticking fairly faithfully to the original novel with only tiny tweaks, Ozon is between a rock and a hard place – criticised for both entrenching colonialist attitudes, and for being woke about them. Plus ça change …
The Stranger played at Manchester Film Festival (19th – 29th 2026).
Indifference, colonialism, a murder trial, and a lot of sunshine in François Ozon’s black and white adaptation of Albert Camus’ novel L’étranger – The Stranger played at Manchester Film Festival 2026.
It’s been quite a while since I read Albert Camus’ novel L’étranger (probably in my late teens attempting to cultivate an air of coolness) but I still think it’s fair to say that François Ozon has stayed fairly faithful to Camus’ original text. I do think that the original English translation of the title (The Outsider) is a closer reflection of the young man at the centre of this narrative, however.
Because the young Monsieur Meursault (Benjamin Voisin) is perhaps strange, but not a stranger. Living in Algiers at a time when the country was French territory, Meursault has a job, neighbours whom he speaks to, and a girlfriend. So he’s not a stranger. He is, however, perhaps not like other people.
Meursault learns that his mother has died and so travels to her care home to attend the funeral the next day. Surviving on coffee and cigarettes, he shows no emotion at his mother’s passing, does not shed any tears at her grave, and returns to Algiers immediately, striking up a relationship with a young woman he meets at the beach – behaviour which will be to his detriment in future days when he finds himself on trial for killing a man.
Ozon’s black and white visuals cleverly capture a feeling of Algiers in the 1930s, and the wardrobe department also makes a huge contribution, particularly with the gorgeous high-waisted trousers and suits worn by the men. The film also manages to deal well with the fact that the novel is a first-person narrative, and yet hasn’t relied on voice over to explain everything. There are long stretches where nothing is said, and the viewer needs to just watch – made easier by the lovely visuals (cinematography by Manuel Dacosse).
Voisin has the toughest job, I think. Meursault is indifferent to everything, and appears to have no opinions or to not have given any thought to things. He will marry if that’s what his girlfriend wants. He will move to Paris if that’s what the boss wants. It’s only in the very final section where he interacts with the prison chaplain Swann Arlaud where he shows any emotion, giving us all the full force of his nihilism – we’re all going to die at some point anyway, what does it matter if it’s now or later?
Ozon’s film adaptation makes a couple of small steps towards acknowledging some of the colonialist attitudes present in the book, by actually naming the two main Arab characters, and hinting that, if Meursault could express himself otherwise, then the legal system would find a way not to convict a French settler of the murder of an indigenous person.
Overall though, by sticking fairly faithfully to the original novel with only tiny tweaks, Ozon is between a rock and a hard place – criticised for both entrenching colonialist attitudes, and for being woke about them. Plus ça change …
The Stranger played at Manchester Film Festival (19th – 29th 2026).
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