La Chinoise

A tight circle of young Parisians gathers to study Maoist doctrine and reckon their place in a world convulsed by Cold War anxieties. They debate how philosophy translates into action, and whether a utopian Maoist community can be built through disruption or violence. The conversations spill into corridors, classrooms, and living rooms, where flirtation, loyalty, and competing ambitions complicate every political stance. As they test radical ideas against personal loyalties, the boundary between political conviction and intimate desire blurs, revealing the seductive pull of revolutionary certainty and the fragility of belief. The film observes their attempts to live out a political creed while wrestling with doubt, camaraderie, and the cost of commitment today. Their debates echo through halls and dorms.

Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, La Chinoise premiered in 1967 as part of his 1960s political cinema, and features Anne Wiazemsky and Jean-Pierre Léaud in an an original script reflecting bold Maoist youth culture and street level debate at a charged moment.

Awards: No major nominations or wins are listed in widely used reference databases for La Chinoise. The film is typically discussed for its provocative rhetoric and stylistic experiments rather than its award haul, reflecting Godard's focus on ideas over prizes.

La Chinoise helped shape the late 1960s wave of politically oriented cinema, melding documentary style with fiction and direct address to camera. Its ambivalence toward revolutionary certainty influenced later filmmakers who blend theory with personal storytelling and critique of activist movements. The result is a film that still feels provocative.

Reception: Critics at the time noted the film's sly humor and cutting take on ideology, while contemporary reviews emphasize its meditation on youth, commitment, and the lure of political absolutes. Its themes still resonate with students of cinema for cinephiles. It challenges viewers to rethink personal choices and public action.