Boudu Saved from Drowning

Based on the play Rene Fauchois, Boudu sauve` des eaux (Boudu Saved from Drowning) is the story of a Parisian tramp who is saved by a rich and kind bookseller only to create chaos into the man’s life. Written for the screen and directed by Jean Renoir, the film is a man’s life being changed when he tries to be generous and help another man where it would force him to see some of the fallacies of his kindness. Starring Michel Simon, Charles Granval, Marcelle Hainia, Severine Lerczinska, Jean Gehret, Max Dalban, Jacques Becker, and Jean Daste. Boudu sauve` des eaux is a witty and engaging film from Jean Renoir.

The film follows a tramp whose dog had suddenly ran off as he attempts suicide by drowning himself on a river only to be saved by an upper-middle class bookseller who takes him in. It’s a film that is an exploration into generosity and some of its fallacies where this kind man is trying to be a good person and help someone in need but he’s unaware that the man he saved is kind of an anarchist of sorts who isn’t interested in change. Jean Renoir’s screenplay follows the life of the bookseller Edouard Lestingois (Charles Granval) who is a good man but is having an affair with his housemaid Chloe Anne Marie (Severine Lerczinska) whom he’s fond of as his marriage to Emma (Marcella Hainia) has lost some steam. When he saves this tramp named Boudu (Michel Simon), he just wants to help but Boudu is baffled by this kindness as he’s not comfortable sleeping on a bed nor is used to eating with utensils and have manners. Plus, he become attracted to Chloe as well as Emma where it would create chaos at home.

Renoir’s direction is very straightforward with some aspects of style as it relates to elements of silent cinema such as the early scenes with Boudu and his dog. Shot in and around locations in Paris, the film play into this world of class difference as it’s something Boudu is kind of on the outs with the world of the middle and upper class. One notable scene is where he asks a policeman about finding his dog as that policeman would go find a dog whose owner is an upper class woman. When Boudu is taken in by Lestingois and be given fine suits and other things expected in the middle-upper class world. He is taken aback by it as it’s something he’s not familiar with where Renoir has him framed often in the background whenever Lestingois is talking about him to other people where Renoir’s usage of medium shots and close-ups play into its intimacy.

The direction also feature some wide shots for the scenes set in Paris where it does feel like a world that is dominated by people of the upper and middle class instead of the poor or the working-class as Renoir doesn’t shine a lot on that spectrum of the world. The direction has Renoir use some unique camera movements which includes a scene near the end as it relates to the new world that Boudu is in where everyone is having a good time but Boudu feels bored by it. Even as it he showcases scenes of Boudu being rambunctious and flirtatious towards Chloe and Emma to express his own free spirit as his presence would change some of the things around Lestingois and the people around him. Especially in the way they see the world and cope with the flaws of their own lifestyle as well as the idea of generosity which also prove to have its flaws. Overall, Renoir creates a compelling yet delightful film about a tramp who is saved by a rich bookseller and taken into a world of etiquette and prestige.

Cinematographers Marcel Lucien and Georges Asselin do brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography as it help play into the beauty of the daytime exteriors as well as the low-key scenes set at night. Editors Marguerite Houlle and Suzanne de Troye do excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the film’s humor. The set design by Jean Castanier and Hugues Laurent is fantastic for the look of the book store that Lestingois lives and works at as well as some of the exteriors in the park that Boudu would often go to.

The sound work of Igor Kalinowski is terrific for its approach to natural sound as well in some of the moments that play inside Lestingois’ home. The film’s wonderful music soundtrack features opening and closing themes by Leo Daniderff that is mainly some light-hearted orchestral pieces with soundtrack contributions from Johann Strauss and original pieces by flautist J. Boulze who appears in the film as well as orpheon music by Edouard Dumoulin.

The film’s superb cast feature some notable small roles from Jacques Becker as a park bench poet, Jean Gehret and Max Dalban as a couple of Lestingois’ friends, and Jean Daste as a student trying to buy a book from Lestingois. Severine Lerczinska is brilliant as Chloe Anne Marie as a housemaid/clerk who is a mistress of Lestingois as she is fascinated and repulsed by Boudu as she reluctantly gives in to his charms. Marcelle Hainia is excellent as Emma Lestingois as a bored housewife who is the most reluctant to have Boudu in her home as she would be seduced by his charms. Charles Granval is amazing as Edouard Lestingois as this bookseller who is a man that does good as he tries to do what is right only to have his life be disrupted by this tramp and deal with the implications of bringing him to his home. Finally, there’s Michel Simon in a phenomenal performance as Priape Boudu as this tramp that is despondent over losing his dog as he copes for companionship where he’s later taken in by a bookseller as he struggles to look and feel clean as well as the expectations of upper-middle class society as he brings a lot of humor and liveliness to her performance.

Boudu sauve` des eaux is an incredible film from Jean Renoir that features a tremendous performance from Michel Simon. Along with a great supporting cast, a captivating premise, and some very funny moments. The film is definitely one of Renoir’s richest and most entertaining films in his illustrious career. In the end, Boudu sauve` des eaux is a sensational film from Jean Renoir.

Related: (Down and Out in Beverly Hills)

Jean Renoir Films: (Backbiters) - (La Fille de l’eau) - (Charleston Parade) - (Une vie sans joie) - (Marquitta) - (The Sad Sack) - (The Tournament) - (The Little Match Girl) - (Le Bled) - (On purge bebe) - (Isn’t Life a Bitch?) - (Night at the Crossroads) - (Chotard & Company) - (Madame Bovary (1933 film)) - (Toni) - Partie de campagne - (Life Belongs to Us) - (The Lower Depths (1936 film)) - (The Crime of Monsieur Lange) - Grand Illusion - (La Marseillaise) - La bete humaine - Rules of the Game - (Swamp Water) - (This Land is Mine) - (Salute to France) - (The Southerner) - (The Diary of a Chambermaid (1945 film)) - (The Woman on the Beach) - The River (1951 film) - (The Golden Coach) - (French Cancan) - (Elena and Her Men) - (The Doctor’s Horrible Experiment) - (Picnic on the Grass) - (The Elusive Corporal) - (The Little Theater of Jean Renoir)

© thevoid99 2017

Partie de campagne

Written and directed by Jean Renoir, Partie de campagne (A Day in the Country) is the story about a love affair on a summer afternoon in 1860 France. Based on a short story by Guy de Maupassant, the film is a 40-minute short originally intended to be a feature-length film that Renoir made in 1936 only to leave it unfinished due to weather problems as it would later be released 10 years later. Starring Sylvia Bataille, Georges D’Arnoux, Jane Marken, Andre Gabriello, Jacques B. Brunius, and Paul Temps. Partie de campagne is a remarkable film from Jean Renoir.

The film is essentially a story about a rich Parisian family who take a trip to the countryside where a young woman named Henriette (Sylvia Bataille) catches the eye of a man named Henri (Georges D’Arnoux) who takes her on a boat ride as they fall in love. That’s the simple part of the story as it explores this young woman who is intrigued by this man when he was supposed to flirt with her mother. Yet, something happens as she is dealing with the fact that her fiancée is a buffoon while Henri is just a simple man who likes simple pleasures which is one of the reasons why she becomes attracted to him.

Jean Renoir’s direction is very simple and understated though it does have its air of style in terms of the way he shoots the river banks as well as the scenes of Henriette standing on a swing. Renoir doesn’t go for anything over-stylized in many of the film’s scenes as he wanted to maintain the simplicity and looseness of the country. While there are scenes of humor that occur involving Henriette’s father and her fiancée, Renoir is more focused on building up the romance as he does it very slowly while text does appear to fill in gaps to reveal what happens afterwards. Overall, Renoir creates a very fascinating yet compelling film about a summer romance.

Cinematographer Claude Renoir does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the gorgeous look of the scenes in the open countryside to the more shaded look in Henri‘s secret place. Editors Marinette Cadix and Marguerite Renoir do nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward to play out the serenity of the locations. Set decorator Robert Gys does terrific work with the film‘s minimal set piece which is a restaurant near the countryside. The sound work of Joseph de Bretagne and Marcel Courmes is wonderful for the sparseness that is in display for many of the film‘s locations. The music of Joseph Kosma is truly splendid for its playful orchestral score to play up the humor as well as more serene pieces in the dramatic moments.

The film’s excellent ensemble cast includes some notable performances from Jean Renoir as the restaurant owner, Marguerite Renoir as the waitress, Gabrielle Fontan as Henriette’s grandmother, Jacques B. Brunius as Henri’s friend Rodolphe, Andre Gabriello and Jane Marken as Henriette’s parents, and Paul Temps as Henriette’s dim-witted fiancée Anatole. Georges D’Arnoux is wonderful as the very quiet Henri who is intrigued by Henriette as he tries to woo her but not in a typical way. Finally, there’s Sylvia Bataille in an incredible performance as Henriette as she is this young woman excited by the countryside as well as a melancholia over what she’s facing as she finds something in Henri that fascinates her.

Partie de campagne is a delightful and mesmerizing film from Jean Renoir. While it may have not be the completed film that he had intended to make, it is still a very captivating film that explores unexpected love in a summer day. Notably as it features superb performances from Sylvia Bataille and Georges D’Arnoux. In the end, Partie de campagne is an excellent film from Jean Renoir.

Jean Renoir Films: (Backbiters) - (La Fille de l’eau) - (Charleston Parade) - (Une vie sans joie) - (Marquitta) - (The Sad Sack) - (The Tournament) - (The Little Match Girl) - (Le Bled) - (On purge bebe) - (Isn’t Life a Bitch?) - (Night at the Crossroads) - Boudu Saved from Drowning - (Chotard & Company) - (Madame Bovary (1933 film)) - (Toni) - (Life Belongs to Us) - (The Lower Depths (1936 film)) - (The Crime of Monsieur Lange) - Grand Illusion - (La Marseillaise) - La Bete Humaine - Rules of the Game - (Swamp Water) - (This Land is Mine) - (Salute to France) - (The Southerner) - (The Diary of a Chambermaid (1945 film)) - (The Woman on the Beach) - The River - (The Golden Coach) - (French Cancan) - (Elena and Her Men) - (The Doctor’s Horrible Experiment) - (Picnic on the Grass) - (The Elusive Corporal) - (The Little Theater of Jean Renoir)

© thevoid99 2013

The River (1951 film)

Based on the novel by Rumer Godden, The River is the story of three teenage girls from three different families whose lives are changed by the arrival of an American soldier as they fall for him. Directed by Jean Renoir and scripted by Renoir and Godden, the film is an exploration of three young girls growing up in the Ganges River in India as they deal with themselves and the man they fall for. Starring Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight, Arthur Shields, Patricia Walters, Adrienne Corri, Radha Burnier, and Suprova Mukerjee. The River is a touching coming of-age film from Jean Renoir.

Harriet (Patricia Walters) is a young teenage girl living with her family near the Ganges River in India as her father (Esmond Knight) runs a jute mill nearby. Living with her mother (Nora Swinburne), a nanny (Suprova Mukerjee), four younger sisters, and a younger brother named Bogey (Richard Foster), Harriet also has a friend in Valerie (Adrienne Corri) whom she often spends her time with. The girls also have another friend in the half-British/half-Indian Melanie (Radha Burnier) who just returned from school as she is set to marry a fellow Indian named Ram (Singh Sajjan Singh). When Melanie’s father (Arthur Shields) reveals that an American cousin of his is coming to visit, Harriet and Valerie are excited as they meet Captain John (Thomas E. Breen).

Captain John, a wounded American soldier with a prosthetic left leg, is invited to a party at the home of Harriet’s father as Valerie flirts with him leaving Harriet and the more reserved Melanie to look on. Yet, Harriet tries to win over though he treats her like a child as he is interested in the quieter Melanie while putting his attention towards Valerie. When Harriet reads him stories from her secret book, he is intrigued though Harriet finds herself competing with Valerie for Captain John’s affections. Captain John though, tries to deal with his own haunted memories of war as he tries to get into conversations with Melanie. When a family tragedy occurs, things become complicated as everyone comes to term with the events that has happened in these past months.

The film is a coming-of-age tale that’s told from the perspective of one of the girls who reflects on her life when she was a teenager that is voiced by June Hillman. Throughout her narration, she describes the landscapes as well as the people and the holidays that happen. The narration also describes what this character is thinking about when it involves a few characters as she dwells on how things could’ve been done differently. Jean Renoir and novelist Rumer Godden create a story where it is about a teenage girl who is younger than her friends as she struggles with growing pains. At the same time, she has to compete with two other girls who are more experienced and have much more to offer to this soldier. The script is a great study of a girl coming of age while dealing with her surroundings and the large family she lives in.

The direction of Jean Renoir is sumptuous for the way he films India with wonderful wide shots and the intimacy he creates in character-driven scenes. Notably the party scenes as he always have the camera to see what is going on and knowing where to position it to see people dancing. He also knows how to get the actors to move at the same time in terms of creating a natural reaction to situations such as two or three of the girls waiting for news as they all stand up from stairs at the same time. For other compositions such as Captain John going after one girl, Renoir uses the frame to have the characters be positioned in different places so they can all be in the frame.

For a lot of the scenes involving the people and the location they’re in, Renoir goes for a documentary approach for the audience to see the world of Indians in the Ganges River. Notably by using the camera to get wide shots of this world that seems very foreign to a lot of people at the time in 1950s. There is a richness to the way Renoir shot those scenes as well as playing to its spirituality that includes scenes that is told by Harriet from her book. One of which involves the Hare Krishna and his bride where Renoir keeps his camera focused on the bride’s dance without cutting relentlessly and make it engaging. The overall work that Renoir did is phenomenal as he creates a film that is hypnotic but also universal in its theme of growing up.

Cinematographer Claude Renoir does a gorgeous job with the film‘s lush yet colorful cinematography. Shot in a Technicolor print, the look of the film has this great detail to the coloring from the skies to the look of the trees. The photography also has this wonderful approach to lighting for many of the interiors to play up the intimacy and mood that is present during the scenes in the film. Editor George Gale does an excellent job with the editing in maintaining a straightforward approach to the cutting while using transitional fade-outs to move the film going at a leisured pace.

Production designer Eugene Lourie and art director Bansi Chandragupta do a great job with the art direction for the film that includes the home of Harriet and her family and the home of Melanie and her father which are very colorful to mix the idea of Indian and English culture. The film’s score by M.A. Partha Sarathy is superb for its mix of soothing orchestral music and traditional Indian music filled with sitars and percussions. The latter of which plays to some of the film’s mythology in the stories that Harriet tells including some of scenes involving the locals in the film.

The casting is extraordinary as it includes appearances from Cecelia Wood, Jane and Jennifer Harris, and Penelope Wilkinson as Harriet’s younger sisters, Nimai Barik as Bogey’s friend Kamu, Singh Sajjan Singh as Melanie’s fiancé Ram, and Richard Forster as Harriet’s animal-loving brother Bogey. Nora Swinburne is very good as Harriet’s caring mother while Suprova Mukerjee is excellent as the warm yet fun nanny. Arthur Shields is also good as Melanie’s kind-hearted father while Esmond Knight is wonderful as Harriet’s father who helps her deal with her growing pains. Thomas E. Breen gives a fine performance as the charming though troubled Captain John who tries to deal with three girls as well as his own sense of alienation over his days as a soldier.

Radha Burnier is radiant in a quiet yet reserved performance as Melanie, the oldest of the three girls who deals with Captain John’s presence as well as the way the other girls are trying to vie for his affections. Adrienne Corri is brilliant as Valerie, the more cultured girl who likes to ride a horse as she does everything she can to win Captain John’s heart while being flirtatious and petty at times. Finally, there’s Patricia Walters in a fantastic performance as Harriet by making her lively and dramatic to exemplify the growing pains she’s going through in this amazing performance.

The River is a rich yet magnificent film from Jean Renoir. Featuring a superb cast, intoxicating locations that is captured by Claude Renoir’s cinematography, and a vibrant music soundtrack. It’s a film that plays true to the world of growing up in a place as exotic as India as three girls deal with the growing pains they face throughout the film. In the end, The River is a superb yet mesmerizing film from Jean Renoir.

Jean Renoir Films: (Backbiters) - (La Fille de l’eau) - (Charleston Parade) - (Une vie sans joie) - (Marquitta) - (The Sad Sack) - (The Tournament) - (The Little Match Girl) - (Le Bled) - (On purge bebe) - (Isn’t Life a Bitch?) - (Night at the Crossroads) - Boudu Saved from Drowning - (Chotard & Company) - (Madame Bovary (1933 film)) - (Toni) - A Day in the Country - (Life Belongs to Us) - (The Lower Depths (1936 film)) - (The Crime of Monsieur Lange) - Grand Illusion - (La Marseillaise) - La Bete Humaine - Rules of the Game - (Swamp Water) - (This Land is Mine) - (Salute to France) - (The Southerner) - (The Diary of a Chambermaid (1945 film)) - (The Woman on the Beach) - (The Golden Coach) - (French Cancan) - (Elena and Her Men) - (The Doctor’s Horrible Experiment) - (Picnic on the Grass) - (The Elusive Corporal) - (The Little Theater of Jean Renoir)

© thevoid99 2011

La Bete Humaine

Written and directed by Jean Renoir, with story credit by Emile Zola and dialogue by Denise Leblond, La Bete Humaine (The Human Beast) is the story of a train engineer who falls for the wife of his superior following a horrifying incident involving murder. During the affair, things become more complicated as the engineer is being asked to do things for his lover. Starring Jean Gabin, Simone Simon, and Fernand Ledoux. La Bete Humaine is a chilling yet intoxicating film from Jean Renoir.

Jacques Lantier (Jean Gabin) is a train engineer who loves his job as he works with his friend Pecqueux (Julien Carette) as they take care of their train. When Lantier is given a 36-hour leave so his train can get a few repairs, he goes out to visit his godmother (Charlotte Clasis) and an ex-girlfriend (Blanchette Brunoy) for his leave. Meanwhile, Lantier’s supervisor Rouboud (Fernand Ledoux) wants to go to La Herve with his wife Severine (Simone Simon) whom he suspects is having an affair with her godfather Grandmorin (Jacques Berlioz). During a ride to La Herve with Grandmorin, Lantier steps in for a ride as he notices something is happening as the Grandmorin is found dead.

During questioning, Lantier claims that he didn’t see anything though he did see Rouboud and Severine walk by Grandmorin’s compartment. Rouboud is glad that Lantier isn’t saying anything though a judge (Andre Tavernier) believes that a man named Cabuche (Jean Renoir) is the suspect. Still, Rouboud tries to hide things as Severine feels unhappy as she turns to Lantier for comfort as they eventually get into an affair. With Rouboud becoming more unhinged by what’s going on as he’s hiding something, Lantier also starts to feel uncomfortable by his affairs and what Severine wants to do. When he sees Severine with another man in Dauvergne (Gerard Landry), Lantier realizes what is going on as he becomes consumed with guilt.

The film is a study of guilt as it’s all centered around two men and a woman in this world of murder and adultery. Yet, Jean Renoir creates a story where there’s this simple man who loves being a train engineer as he calls his train Lison. Yet, he is also someone that has own issues where he displays some violent tendencies as he discusses it with his mother who is still worried about him. Then there’s Rouboud who is a rich man that operates the train station that Lantier works with who is a proud man but is wondering if his wife loves him as he becomes more secretive and distant following the murder of Grandmorin. Then there’s Severine who is in the middle of this as this innocent, poor woman is really a manipulator that is willing to make men do anything and pushes them to the edge.

The script works as a study of guilt and motivations yet it’s in Renoir’s direction where the film really takes hold. Opening with this amazing, five-minute montage of a train speeding throughout the French countryside. Renoir manages to keep the film pretty straightforward while his compositions are very striking in the way he creates love scenes or some intense, dramatic moments. It’s also more about what he doesn’t show as it’s focused on sounds or using an image to obstruct what is really happening. That is part of Renoir’s genius as a filmmaker while keeping the intensity going during a key moment of the film that involves Lantier’s troubled behavior that leads to climatic moment in the film. Overall, Renoir creates a film that is very engrossing for its study of behaviors and guilt.

Cinematographer Curt Courant does a great job with the black-and-white cinematography from the sunny look of the French countryside to the dark look of the nighttime exterior and interior settings to help enhance the suspenseful tone of the film. Editors Suzanne de Troeye and Marguerite Renoir do an amazing job with the editing as many of the cuts are straightforward with the exception of a few jump-cuts to play with the film’s rhythm, along with its train montages, and the dissolves for some of the transitional moments of the film.

Production designer Eugene Lourie does an excellent job with the set pieces created such as the ballroom that Lantier goes to with friends where he sees Severine dancing with another man as well as the look for the train compartments. Costume designer Laure Lourie does a very good job with the costumes from the black dresses that Severine wears to the working-class suits of Lantier and more revered suits that Rouboud wears. Sound engineer Robert Teisseire does a nice job with the sound to the way trains are sounded to how it plays for some of its suspenseful moments. The music by Joseph Kosma is exhilarating for its sweeping compositions from fast-paced pieces for its suspenseful moments to more slower, mid-tempo pieces for the dramatic moments of the film.

The cast is truly incredible with notable appearances from Colette Regis as Pecqueux’s wife, Blanchette Brunoy as Lantier’s ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Clasis as Lantier’s godmother, Andre Tavernier as a judge, Gerard Landry as a man whom Severine likes, Jacques Berlioz as Grandmorin, and Jean Renoir as dirty man accused of murder. Julien Carette is excellent in a memorable supporting role as Pecqueux, Lantier’s fellow train engineer who becomes suspicious over what is going on. Fernand Ledoux is great as Rouboud, a station supervisor dealing with his wife’s supposed affairs as well as the things he’s done as he becomes more distant as the film progresses.

Simone Simon is radiant as the innocent though melodramatic Severine, a woman who is abused by her husband as she seeks comfort in Lantier only to manipulate him in order to deal with things. It’s a truly eerie performance as Simon brings a complexity to a woman that is really more of a troublemaker than a victim. Jean Gabin is brilliant as Jacques Lantier, a man with simple pleasures whose new role as a lover for a married woman eventually takes its toll as he would explore his own demons. It’s a very compelling performance from the legendary actor as he creates a character that finds himself in a very bad situation based on a lie he creates.

La Bete Humaine is a mesmerizing yet intriguing film from Jean Renoir featuring a phenomenal performance from Jean Gabin. The film is definitely one of Renoir’s finest films due to its study of character and motivations as well as the world he creates at a train station. While Rules of the Game and Grand Illusion might be better introductions, this is still one of his key films proving why he is such a beloved filmmaker all over the world. In the end, La Bete Humaine is a triumphant suspense film from Jean Renoir.

Jean Renoir Films: (Backbiters) - (La Fille de l’eau) - (Charleston Parade) - (Une vie sans joie) - (Marquitta) - (The Sad Sack) - (The Tournament) - (The Little Match Girl) - (Le Bled) - (On purge bebe) - (Isn’t Life a Bitch?) - (Night at the Crossroads) - Boudu Saved from Drowning - (Chotard & Company) - (Madame Bovary (1933 film)) - (Toni) - A Day in the Country - (Life Belongs to Us) - (The Lower Depths (1936 film)) - (The Crime of Monsieur Lange) - Grand Illusion - (La Marseillaise) - Rules of the Game - (Swamp Water) - (This Land is Mine) - (Salute to France) - (The Southerner) - (The Diary of a Chambermaid (1945 film)) - (The Woman on the Beach) - The River - (The Golden Coach) - (French Cancan) - (Elena and Her Men) - (The Doctor’s Horrible Experiment) - (Picnic on the Grass) - (The Elusive Corporal) - (The Little Theater of Jean Renoir)

© thevoid99 2011

Grand Illusion

Directed by Jean Renoir with a script co-written with Charles Spaak. Le Grande Illusion (Grand Illusion) tells the story of French POWs in World War I plotting an escape from prison while dealing with class issues among its soldier and officers. Along the way, they are under the watch of an aristocratic German officer whom one of the officers become friends with. A part-war film but also part commentary on social classes and races, it is considered to be one of Renoir’s finest work. Starring Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay, Dita Parlo, Marcel Dalio, and Erich von Stroheim. Le Grande Illusion is a remarkable yet captivating film from Jean Renoir.

After being shot by a German plane, two French officers in Captain de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay) and Lieutenant Marechal (Jean Gabin) are accompanied to meet Captain von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim), who was the man that shot their plane down. Eventually sent to a POW camp, de Boeldieu and Marechal meet fellow prisoners who are digging a tunnel to get out. Among the prisoners they meet is a wealthy French Jew named Rosenthal (Marcel Dialo) who is aware of the special treatment that de Boeldieu is getting because of his aristocratic background.

After news about a battle that the French won, Marechal is put into isolation for a while as he and de Boeldieu are sent to another prison in a castle run by von Rauffenstein. With Rosenthal also sent to von Rauffenstein’s castle, he and Marechal make plans for an escape while de Boeldieu and von Rauffenstein engage in conversations over their aristocratic background. Though Rosenthal doesn’t trust de Boeldieu, Marechal gains de Boeldieu’s trust as he creates a diversion for the two to escape. During the escape, Rosenthal and Marechal make their way to the German countryside towards the Switzerland border as Rosenthal injures his foot. Finding shelter in the home of a widow named Elsa (Dita Parlo), she takes them in as the two men ponder what to do next.

While the setting of the film is a war film, it’s really a prison break out film with themes of social classes and order. While the character of Marechal might have qualms towards de Boeldieu because he’s from an aristocratic background and Marechal comes from a working class background. The two stick together because they’re soldiers as Marechal chooses to swallow his pride and let things be. Trying to help other French prisoners to escape and later engage in lavish stage shows to entertain their soldiers and German officers. Marechal has a duty to remain still as the Germans aren’t so hostile though escaping proves to be treacherous.

By the time they meet von Rauffenstein again in his castle, von Rauffenstein is only interested in de Boeldieu which increases the gap between social order for Marechal. Particularly because von Rauffenstein sees de Boeldieu as an equal as they believe that they’ll be obsolete once the war is over. Yet, de Boeldieu would become the man who helps Marechal escape realizing the only way how following an incident involving Russian prisoners. The script that Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak is compelling for its study of class and the way war is handled among soldiers and POWs. While there’s a lot that happens throughout the film, it’s only because the script allows the audience to understand what goes on in prison life during World War I.

Renoir’s direction is superb for the way he lets many of the film’s moments play through. Though, at times, scenes do play out a little too long and creates some pacing issues throughout the film. It’s only because Renoir is trying to get the audience involved in how the prisoners are trying to plan their escapes while dealing with the German soldiers who aren’t all that bad. Renoir always let the camera play out the reactions and savor the locations the camera is in. Even as he creates some tracking shots and close-ups to let audience aware of what is at stake and the moments that are happening. Despite the flaws with the pacing on some parts of the film, Renoir creates a solid yet mesmerizing film.

Cinematographer Christian Martas does a fantastic job with the film‘s black-and-white photography to capture the beautiful mountains near France for its wide shots. Even as he creates some amazing dark lights and shading for some of the nighttime exterior scenes. Editors Marguerite Renoir and Marthe Huguet do an excellent job with the editing by creating some straight cuts along with fade-outs and dissolves for the film’s transitions as it moves well despite a few long scenes. Production designer Eugene Lorie does a great job with the creating of the prison rooms that the characters live in along with the house that Marechal and Rosenthal seek shelter in.

Costume designer Rene Decrais is brilliant for its look to create the differences of class in its characters from the ragged look of Marechal to the refined clothing of de Boeldieu and von Rauffenstein. The sound work by Joseph de Bretagne is very good for the sounds of troops marching and gun blasts for some of the more intense moments of the film. The music by Joseph Koma is quite stellar for its flourishing orchestral score to play up its drama and humor. The rest of the soundtrack that is supervised by Emile Vuillermoz has an array of music relating to their countries as well as tunes of the early 1910s.

The casting is phenomenal as it features some small but memorable performances from Little Peters as Elsa’s daughter, Sylvain Itkine as a transferred prisoner, Jean Daste and Gaston Modot as prisoners of the first camp, and Julien Carette as the brash but funny prisoner Cartier. Dita Parlo is really good as Elsa, the woman who takes Marechal and Rosenthal late in the film as she reveals the loss she suffered due to war. Marcel Dalio is excellent as Rosenthal, a wealthy Jew who helps out Marechal with the escape despite his feelings towards de Boeldieu over his aristocratic status.

Pierre Fresnay is superb as Captain de Boeldieu, an aristocratic soldier who tries to maintain a sense of realism for the soldiers as he uses his class status to make things better only to be aware that his status is in decline. Erich von Stroheim is great as Captain von Rauffenstein, a German officer who offers a decent life to prisoners as he sees de Boeldieu as an equal while often treats Marechal with indifference over his class status. Jean Gabin is brilliant as Marechal, a mechanic-turned-soldier who observes all that is happening while trying to escape in what is an intense yet touching performance.

Le Grande Illusion is an exhilarating film from Jean Renoir featuring spectacular performances from Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay, and Erich von Stroheim. Anyone interested in Renoir will find this film as a good starting point while it’s also one of the great studies on war and class politics. Particularly on a setting like World War I which is often overlooked in a lot of war films. While it does have a few pacing issues throughout the film, it is still a very engaging film about prison life and the means to escape. Le Grande Illusion is a magnificent film from the late, great Jean Renoir.

Jean Renoir Films: (Backbiters) - (La Fille de l’eau) - (Charleston Parade) - (Une vie sans joie) - (Marquitta) - (The Sad Sack) - (The Tournament) - (The Little Match Girl) - (Le Bled) - (On purge bebe) - (Isn’t Life a Bitch?) - (Night at the Crossroads) - Boudu Saved from Drowning - (Chotard & Company) - (Madame Bovary (1933 film)) - (Toni) - A Day in the Country - (Life Belongs to Us) - (The Lower Depths (1936 film)) - (The Crime of Monsieur Lange) - (La Marseillaise) La Bete Humaine - Rules of the Game - (Swamp Water) - (This Land is Mine) - (Salute to France) - (The Southerner) - (The Diary of a Chambermaid (1945 film)) - (The Woman on the Beach) - The River - (The Golden Coach) - (French Cancan) - (Elena and Her Men) - (The Doctor’s Horrible Experiment) - (Picnic on the Grass) - (The Elusive Corporal) - (The Little Theater of Jean Renoir)

© thevoid99 2011

Rules of the Game

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/2/08.

Before the era of the French New Wave of the 1960s, France's greatest director who helped bring French cinema to the masses was Jean Renoir. In the 1930s, Renoir had come off a period of doing silent films as he was making new films with sound. In 1937, Renoir hit it big with the films Le Grande Illusion (Grand Illusion)and Le Bete Humaine (The Human Beast). Two years later, Renoir had his own financing to make a film that wouldn't just solidify his status as one of the greatest filmmakers that ever lived. For his next film, he would satire the world of the upper class and its sense of grandeur for the film entitled La Regle Du Jeu (The Rules of the Game).

Directed and starring Jean Renoir with a script he co-wrote with Carl Koch based in part of Alfred de Musset's Les Caprices des Marianne. La Regle Du Jeu tells the story of a gathering in a mansion as a man returns to learn that his beloved is with someone else. Distraught, he is invited to a gathering in the French countryside as affairs and flirtations arose between the rich and their servants. A study about the upper class and the people who work with them, the film is also about a study of manners in how these different people portray themselves. Also starring Roland Toutain, Marcel Dalio, Nora Gregor, Mila Parely, Odette Talazac, Anne Mayen, Paulette Dubost, Gaston Modot, and Julien Carette. La Regle Du Jeu is a brilliant, witty, and satirical masterpiece from Jean Renoir.

After successfully flying 23 hours across the Atlantic, Andre Jurieu (Roland Toutain) has arrived in France as he achieved a great feat. Yet, when he sees that his beloved Christine (Nora Gregor) had not shown up and who he did this for, he is heartbroken as he is comforted by his friend Octave (Jean Renoir). Christine is at home with her loyal maid Lisette (Paulette Dubost) while planning a gathering in the French countryside that will include Christine's husband Marquis Robert de la Chesnaye (Marcel Dalio). Robert however, is having an affair with Genevieve (Mila Parely) which is now becoming rocky as he is aware that Christine is falling for Andre. In a suicide attempt by crashing a car, Andre is still heartbroken as Octave talks him out of his funk as he walks home to see Christine, whom he has known for years and often treats her like a sister. Learning of the gathering they’re going to have, he decides to come and invite Andre.

With Robert and Octave hoping to pair Andre with Genevieve to solve everyone's problems, everyone leaves for the weekend retreat at their country estate. Joined by Charlotte da La Plante (Odette Talazac), the general (Pierre Magnier), Christine's niece Jackie (Anne Mayen) and Monsieur de Saint-Aubin (Pierre Nay), they also meet the estate's gamekeeper and Lisette's husband Schumacher (Gaston Modot). Schumacher notices a bunch of rabbits in the field while hoping to catch poachers as he finds one of them named Marceau (Julien Carette) who Robert meets and gives him a job. Andre finally arrives, though still reeling over Christine's indifferent behavior towards him as Jackie falls for him. With plans to go over the hunt the next day, Lisette is wooed by Marceau at the servants floor. The hunt begins as everyone seems to have a good time while Christine learns something horrifying.

Later that night, a masquerade ball happens with several guests as things start out smoothly but numerous romantic liaisons between several guests and servants lead to chaos. Octave begins to reveals his own romantic feelings for Christine as things get crazy and such. With Robert losing control of the situation and Andre still having intense feelings for Christine, a tragic mistake would occur in the heat of jealousy and passion.

Films about a gathering often reveals what goes in the parties and the people behind them. What Renoir does is examines the lives of the individuals and the servants involved as everything unfolds in this weekend. What it's really about is these group of upper class individuals trying to escape the problems of their own life through acts of decadence whether its hunting for rabbits and birds or through these parties they hold with their rich friends. Yet, underneath all of this is the servants who are trying to help run things yet are dealing with their own problems as flirtations and romantic liaisons lead to chaos and tragedy. In many ways, the film is a study of manners, people, and the lives they lead in whether it's filled with things or just simply empty lives.

While the script and character studies in the story are wonderfully written, it's Renoir's observant, stylish direction that is truly mesmerizing. From the way he captures the drama in his framing to the tracking shots of what is going on amidst the chaos in the countryside estate. What was amazing about that tracking shot where the camera moves to see what's going on and everything is unbroken and the audience is watching everything unfold. At that time when it was made and released, it was kind of a new thing to see. Another scene, the famous hunting scene is brilliant for its sense of brutality. Had it been done today with real-life rabbits and birds actually being shot like that, it would've caused outrage with animal-rights activists. Yet, the fact that Renoir got away with it to show how much the upper class seems to enjoy all of this when they don't really much to do with their lives.

The direction that Renoir took is superb as while the people who serve the rich are clearly more interesting than the ones they serve. Renoir shows the sense of loyalty and honor they have for the people they work with while being allowed to state their opinions. Yet, Renoir's focus is still the people who live in the fancy bedrooms and eat the fanciest meals but are not actual stereotypes. They're real people that have real problems as they find themselves with lives that are often empty and not much to show for. The character of Andre is someone who just accomplished a feat that makes him a national hero and he's whining about the fact that Christine isn't there for his countrymen to hear. Octave is someone who believes is a failure with nothing to live for or has the motivation to do anything.

Then there's Christine, the object of affection for all involved as a woman who is amazed at the men who love her yet isn't sure what to do about herself. Another person who loves her is Lisette, whose loyalty to Christine might conjure up homosexual tendencies. Yet, she also drives a conflict between her husband Schumacher and Marceau for her affections. Then there's Robert, a man who is trying to control everything around him as well as the guests and once all the chaos ensues. He tries to maintain control everywhere but in his personal life, things are definitely spiraling down. The film's tragedy in the end emphasizes how much things can go wrong and one person is trying to maintain that sense of control while others affected by it seem completely lost. It's Renoir's sense of study in his direction and the script he co-wrote that ensures in why this film is truly magnificent from start to finish.

Cinematographers Jean Bachelet and Jacques Lemare do superb work with the film's black-and-white photography to emphasize the look of the rich early on as well as magnificent exterior shots of the French countryside. The interiors are richly done yet it's best work in the lighting is for the exterior nighttime sequences near the end of the film that is truly rich and haunting to foreshadow what's to come. Editor Marguerite Renoir does fantastic work with the film's cutting in the use of dissolves and fade-outs to add style and a pacing that is unique for the film. Production designers Eugene Lourie and Max Douy do fantastic work with the film's set decorations and the look of the house and such. Even in the designs of the staging they used for their plays in the ball scene.

Legendary costume designer Coco Chanel creates amazing clothes for the look of the film with its sparkling dresses, masquerade costumes, Lisette's hood, and everything else. It's dazzling though in seen in black-and-white while adds a wonderful touch to the film's look. Sound engineer Joseph de Bretagne does fantastic work with the film's sound work to capture the suspense as well as the chaos that goes on in the film. The film's music is a mix of classical pieces from Mozart, Chopin, Monsigny, Salabert, and Saints-Saens all arranged by Roger Desormieres and Joseph Kosma for the film's party scenes and music boxes.

The cast is unique for its array of characters that include small performances from Pierre Magnier as a general, Odette Talazac as socialite Charlotte, Eddy Debray as the lead servant Cornielle, Lise Elena as a radio reporter, and Pierre Nay as Saint-Aubin, a lover of Christine whom Andre fights. Anne Mayen is great as Jackie, a young woman who has a crush on Andre while looking at Octave as an older brother. Gaston Modot is great as the jealous, bullying Schumacher who feels threatened by the presence of Marceau as well as being possessive of his wife Lisette. Julien Carette is great as the charming, poor Marceau, a man who wants to have the chance to serve the rich as he enjoys his job while flirting with Lisette and battles Schumacher. The film's best supporting performance goes to Paulette Dubost as Lisette, Christine's loyal maid who is very caring to her mistress while falling for the attention of Marceau.

Mila Parley is great as the mistress Genevieve who is aware of Christine's presence while trying to be her friend as she also juggles her affair with Robert. Marcel Dalio is also great as Robert de la Chesnaye who is trying to maintain control of everything both in front of everyone and in his personal life as everything starts to lose control. Nora Gregor is excellent as Christine, the woman who is being loved by everyone as she is confused by her beauty and the men who love her as she tries to find the one man who loves her. Roland Toutain is brilliant as the heartbroken Andre, a despondent man desperate for the heart of Christine that he'll fight anyone who'll get in his way only to realize that he's becoming a fool. Finally, there's Jean Renoir in a superb performance as Octave, a man who has failed who tries to keep everyone together and such while only to realize he's in love with Christine as Renoir's calm, wise performance is truly magnificent.

When it premiered in 1939 with a 91-minute running time, the film drew a scathing response from critics and audiences when it was released. Jean Renoir was forced to re-edit the film with his wife Marguerite to 84 minutes, it still didn't do well at the time France was entering World War II. It was banned afterwards, then lifted, and then banned again. Then in 1959, film historians Jean Gaborit and Jacques Durand salvaged the film for a reconstruction along with unreleased footage with help from Renoir as it premiered at the Venice Film Festival that year to a huge ovation with a new cut of 106 minutes. In 2004, the film was restored and reissued for its Criterion DVD release in the same reconstructed version back in 1959 as it's often considered to be one of the greatest films of all-time.

La Regle Du Jeu is a witty, satirical, and powerful film from Jean Renoir. With a superb cast and Renoir's observant direction, it's a film that is a must-see for anyone who loves films as well as newcomers new to foreign films and art-house films. It's a film that's filled with a lot of humor, wit, and tragedy. While the film is certainly innovative, particularly for being influential to many filmmakers and films, most recently Robert Altman's 2001 film Gosford Park. Those new to Renoir will no doubt find this film as a great starting point. In the end, La Regle Du Jeu is a film that is truly brilliant worth watching every time from the late, great Jean Renoir.

Jean Renoir Films: (Backbiters) - (La Fille de l’eau) - (Charleston Parade) - (Une vie sans joie) - (Marquitta) - (The Sad Sack) - (The Tournament) - (The Little Match Girl) - (Le Bled) - (On purge bebe) - (Isn’t Life a Bitch?) - (Night at the Crossroads) - Boudu Saved from Drowning - (Chotard & Company) - (Madame Bovary (1933 film)) - (Toni) - A Day in the Country - (Life Belongs to Us) - (The Lower Depths (1936 film)) - (The Crime of Monsieur Lange) - Grand Illusion - (La Marseillaise) - La Bete Humaine - (Swamp Water) - (This Land is Mine) - (Salute to France) - (The Southerner) - (The Diary of a Chambermaid (1945 film)) - (The Woman on the Beach) - The River - (The Golden Coach) - (French Cancan) - (Elena and Her Men) - (The Doctor’s Horrible Experiment) - (Picnic on the Grass) - (The Elusive Corporal) - (The Little Theater of Jean Renoir)

© thevoid99 2011