(Dir. Renoir 1939)
NR If you are interested in fast paced action, then this is not the film for you. La Regles du jeu is of a more philosophical nature and is meant to satirize the French elite at the time. That being said, the last thirty minutes of this film is a RIDE, especially when compared to the first hour and a half. This is also where the satirization can be most felt and at the end of the movie the hilarity is balanced by a rather alarming sentiment. After seeing the main characters in this film make and execute multiple poor and immoral decisions, the consequences are covered up in a very elegant way. The guests see through the cover up, though, and, despite knowing that a man was murdered in cold blood, praise the cover up as a rare instance of class and decorum. At the very end, you see exactly what cultural issue that Renoir was remarking upon. Genuine goodness is no longer expected, one can engage in whatever immoral or harmful act they please, as long as they do it with a decorum that keeps up the facade of goodness. In addition to this very poignant commentary, the film contains amazing sequences. I thought the hunting scene made an excellent addition to the movie in terms of being composed of interesting shots as well as adding to the main philosophy of the film. I would also like to say at this point that I am fairly certain animals were harmed in the making of this film. In case that's a deal breaker for you. Overall I do recommend this film, especially if you are a fan of French culture. Though when you watch it I would keep in mind that it is definitely a product of its time and bear with it. If you have the choice, I would also watch Renoir's introduction before starting the film. It gives a lot of cultural context that greatly adds to the understanding of the film's philosophies.
1 Comment
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Aubrey KirchhoffI'm just screaming into the void and somehow getting graded on it. Archives
April 2018
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