"La Question Ordinaire" ("The Ordinary Question") isn't so simple to be deciphered due to its unconventional nature and style.

Its thematic analyzes police repression against anti-establishment revolutionaries in France. But it could be applied to guerrilla movements, left-wing students and workers living in Latin America during dictatorships, and many individuals were exiled in France and shared whatever they faced or witnessed.

But Claude Miller, clearly inspired by the cinema of Godard, goes for a strange idea that looks absurd within a real context, crazed and darkly humored, but also poignant to look at.

Just a brief sharing of events: a female journalist (Sofia Torkeli) decides to film a prisoner (Guy Heron) being questioned and tortured by two police authorities. In between interrogations and beatings, the tough man goes through a series of humiliating moments: one of the men kisses him while he's tied to a chair; another one rides him like a horse; and in another moment he's forced to participate in a game of repeating words and movements.

Obviously that those in power can do anything they want with a prisoner in order to break his resistance and get some important information about allies on the run, but Mr. Miller goes for a very absurdist setting that will confuse some viewers to the point of thinking this is a comedy. Maybe that's part of his point: to break the audience resistance into seeing a different view of reality and see (enjoy?) the humor. I did not laugh, but I was curious and intrigued into seeing how far they would go.

Like Godard's films, it's a very fragmented experience of bits and pieces, words thrown in the air but without making any sense. But in the case of "Le Petit Soldat", the genius filmmaker had a powerful statement to make related with French repression in Algiers, to the point his film was censored and got a delayed release. The most you can get with Miller's film is the historical context in which was made, enlightning for those who watched it at the time to understand the world they were living, but today it feels too weird, too surreal. But it's quite good. 8/10.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

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The mystery genre features the investigation and solving of a puzzle, typically a crime or an enigmatic event. Mysteries are known for their suspenseful narratives, intricate plots, and the challenge they present to readers or viewers to piece together clues and solve the central mystery alongside the characters.

Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Chinatown (1974)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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Clearly influenced by Godard, Claude Miller uses a highly unconventional style to expose the brutal treatment of young revolutionaries in 1960s France.

Guy Heron in La question ordinaire (1969)

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Gérard Desarthe and Guy Heron in La question ordinaire (1969)

Gérard Desarthe, Guy Heron, and Victor Tazartesse in La question ordinaire (1969)

Sofia Torkeli in La question ordinaire (1969)

Gérard Desarthe and Victor Tazartesse in La question ordinaire (1969)

Guy Heron and Victor Tazartesse in La question ordinaire (1969)

La question ordinaire

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