CE JOUR LA (THAT DAY)

Switzerland, 2003, 104 minutes, Colour.
Bernard Giraudeaut, Elsa Zylberstein, Jean- Luc Bideau, Michelle Piccoli.
Directed by Raoul Ruiz.

Ce Jour La is a Swiss production, with Portuguese- Chilean director Raoul Ruiz having made a career in South America and then in France over several decades. He received financial support for this project and located it in Switzerland.

Comparisons have been made between Bunuel and Ruiz. With this film they are more than just comparisons. This, in many ways, is a cinema of the absurd. However, the locations are naturalistic, the comedy of manners is elegant as well as absurd. The film offers a critique of the State, specifically Switzerland, with its financial laws, becoming a terrorist, using violence against its citizens to save its finances. The film is also critical of society, in a manner akin to Bunuel, as it shows a father in debt willing to let a murderer out of the asylum that he owns, giving him a message from God that he should kill his daughter who was to receive his mother's inheritance and which he needed to pay his debts. The other characters are a gallery of characters and caricatures: there is the insane daughter, the insane murderer, the father himself and his presiding over his business, his eccentric sister, his mistress, his two sons, a stranger met by the wayside, the evil power from the Swiss government and his brother who has protected the young woman. As with Bunuel, they are assembled at a significant meal in which the characters and interactions are revealed.

The title refers to 28 December in the near future (because it is a Monday, it is 2004). The runes and other signs have told the young woman that it is to be her special day - and this definitely becomes true.

The film is very well performed, keeping a balance between eccentricity and normality, making the strange goings-on almost plausible. There is an irony as the two policeman in the town decide to do nothing and spend the day sitting in a restaurant, finally coming to apprehend the killer. Ruiz has done many comedies of manners as well as eccentric and absurd films. These two aspects of his career come together very elegantly in this film.

1. Raoul Ruiz's career? His work in Latin America, Portugal, France? The Swiss perspective in this film? The work of a maturing artist with a particular perspective on human nature and society?

2. The Swiss settings, the small town, the countryside, the asylum, the mansion, the business offices, the restaurants? An atmosphere of realism for the characters and events? The musical score?

3. The title, its reference to Livia, her anticipation of the day? The special day for Emil? God's message to him and his doing God's will?

4. The opening, Livia and the leaf, seeing it as her sister, writing in her diary, the stranger falling off his bike, coming to talk with him, her explanation about the special day, all the signs leading to it, the group of bikers passing, the one falling? The stranger commenting on the insane people? Her reaction? Her showing her leg, inviting him to kiss it? The evidence that she was insane?

5. The date, the Monday, 28 December, the special day? Emil waking up, the government official opening all the doors and sending him out to do God's will? His going to the chemist, the importance of the blood tester for his diabetes and the common theme running through the film, his forever testing his blood sugar? His going to the family mansion in order to do God's will?

6. Livia, her waking up, her special day, her being at home? Her sense of anticipation? The arrival of Emil, her kindness towards him, the attraction? Her then hitting him with the hammer? Her brother's arrival, killing him with the hammer? The blood on her dress? Emil not dead and his coming to her, their discussions? The arrival of Bernadette and Hubus, his heart attack, Emil pursuing Bernadette with the knife? The arrival of the stranger, the attraction towards Livia, his being brutally murdered? Emil bringing all the bodies into the dining room, setting them at the table, having the beef meal prepared by Livia, setting all the corpses up?

7. The role of the police, the information, the advice of the assistant to do nothing, the officious young policeman cleaning the stamp, coming to the restaurant with messages? The assistant and his advice, the chief with his cramp? The meal, playing billiards, listening to people's conversations, the chief saying things on which the assistant would have to reflect? The arrival of Master Harald, his urging them to do their duty, their explanations? Their passing the rest of the day at the restaurant? Their final arrival, apprehending the official and executing him?

8. The family meal, the range of characters, their interactions, their eccentricities - difficult to tell who was insane or not? Their relationship to Livia? Her wanting to watch the television? The meal as preparing the audience to know who the characters were before they were killed?

9. Hubus and Bernadette coming to the restaurant, answering their mobile phones, people gossiping? The meal, the return, his death, her murder?

10. Leone coming with Harald, at the meal, the discussion about the family fortunes, his disdain about the product and forbidding it to be used in the restaurant? His story about his ex-wife and her death, leaving the money to their daughter? Leone and her returning to the mansion, seeing the bodies, the discussions with Emil, his pursuing her, her being knocked down on the road, the two young men looking at her corpse and discussing it, Emil killing one of them, the other running away, putting the bodies in the truck and bringing them to the house?

11. Emil, his hearing the voice of God, partially insane, the urge to kill, the farcical aspects of his pursuing everybody, especially Roland, with the gun? His being calmed by Livia? His changing his attitude towards God and his mission? Her explaining it could be from the Devil? The kiss, the meal, his being at home with her, wanting to go to the zoo, going back to the asylum? The promise of her visits?

12. Her protector and his being sent away to look after his mother, the irony of the mobile phone call with her up on the hill? Giving a lift to his brother? Their confrontation in the house, the gun on his brother, his letting his brother be taken out and executed? The discussions with Emil? His staying to protect Livia and explaining she was very rich?

13. Her father, his signing the documents for the government, his being debt-free, going to the house with the official, expecting to see Livia dead, her response, her sitting at the table, pulling the gun on her, shooting himself?

14. Livia and her fortune, relationship with Switzerland and other countries? The humorous and ironic overtone at the announcement of Frederick Durenmatt getting the country's prize? What had happened to ownership of the country?

15. Themes of human nature, greed, violence? Betrayal? Farcical behaviour? The folly of death? The role of the State, its sinister terrorism? Everything back in order - but what order? The motifs of the military trucks driving through the countryside? The themes of guardian angels and guardian devils?