La question

What a tremendous film from the seventies, in the line of LES AVEUX LES PLUS DOUX or LE COMPLOT, in the mood of the glorious seventies, post may 1968 period. In the eighties, it would have been impossible to produce such a movie. Of course this would have been a perfect film for the likes of Yves Boisset or Costa Gavras. But director Laurent Heyneman brings here a very good film, as he will several years later with IL FAUT TUER BIRGITT HAAS, another excellent political thriller. Just watch this one very closely and enjoy, because there are not too many of this kind. You can watch if after LA BATAILLE D'ALGER. There was not so many French movies speaking of the war in Algeria, especially the torture matter against the Algerians FLN fighters....

Because it deals with tortures in Algeria "la question" remains a movie few people know.

Henri Alleg's small book was first sold on the sly,but by the end of the sixties you could find it anywhere:it was in the library of my teacher training college .The title ("the question" ) is borrowed from the Middle Ages when they called torture "question" what an euphemism!

Actually the movie does not go as far as the tortures depicted by Alleg in his book.The reader will certainly know what I mean.There are scenes that cannot be transferred to the screen ,and any man or woman with a heart could not certainly stand them.

Even the names were changed :Alleg became Charlègue and his friend Maurice Audin was renamed Oudinot.So were the soldiers patronymics.

Laurent Heynemann made a non spectacular movie,and his leading actor,Jacques Denis, remains very sparing of gestures and words as Alleg (Charlègue) ,the director of a newspaper and a FLN (Algerians fighting against the French army to get independence)sympathizer.All that is left for him is his dignity and he will not bargain for salvation,which would mean informing .

A very dark page of French history.