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The Common Man

Name: The Common Man
Director: Yves Boisset
Released: 1975
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

4.9/10

Fair

1975

Director

Yves Boisset

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Yves Boisset’s film leans into social realism, using the setting of a summer campsite to expose societal fractures. By focusing on the tension between local families and immigrant workers, the film avoids escapism and instead centers its conflict on social issues. While the film lacks diversity in terms of gender roles and LGBTQ+ representation, it excels in confronting racial and cultural friction. It uses these tensions to critique the perceived peace of traditionalist lifestyles. Ultimately, the film serves as a significant social commentary for its era, highlighting systemic prejudice.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Common Man have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film centers around a traditional family unit with no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or narratives involving non-straight relationships.

How does The Common Man portray gender?

Fair

The story adheres to a conventional domestic structure led by a patriarchal figure. Women in the film do not seem to challenge the social hierarchies of the time.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Common Man?

Good

The narrative actively engages with ethnic diversity by featuring Algerian immigrant workers. These characters play crucial roles in exploring xenophobia and systemic discrimination.

How does The Common Man represent religion and culture?

Good

The film employs social critique to deconstruct provincial stability. It highlights the friction between local citizens and foreign laborers, emphasizing class struggle and social instability.

Does The Common Man include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no mention of characters with visible or invisible disabilities in the provided context.

Present on Screen

Engages deeply with racial tension and ethnic diversity.
Uses immigrant characters to drive meaningful social critique.
Highlights class struggle and social instability.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities.
Follows traditional patriarchal gender hierarchies.
Provides no visibility for characters with disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Georges Lajoie is a Parisian café owner. As every summer, Georges, his wife Ginette and grown-up son Léon go on holiday to Loulou's campsite, where they meet up with the Schumacher family (whose father is a bailiff) and the Colin family (who sells bras in the markets). This year, their peace is slightly disturbed by the proximity of a construction site where foreign workers are employed. Xenophobic comments are made. One evening at the ball, a fight breaks out between Lajoie, Albert Schumacher and two algerian immigrant workers...

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