Movie #12: Released in 1939, directed by Jean Renoir, 106 minutes. New to me!
LetterBoxd Score: 3.5 stars
What’s best about this movie is the final act, which keeps escalating into more and more chaos. We’ve got multiple love triangles coming out into the open, with fistfights, and then chasing people around with guns (while the party goes on!), and eventually, actual genuine murder!
Without that final act, the movie would have been pretty forgettable for me. And even with it, the movie is a bit forgettable. Just a bunch of amoral, petty rich people squabbling over love affairs. Nothing real at stake. Even the end, when one of the protagonists is killed over a case of mistaken identity, it’s all covered up and you get the impression everyone will quickly move on.
Why would someone think it’s one of the ten greatest movies ever made?
I couldn’t say, so I asked chatGPT:
First, the film is an exceptional example of Renoir’s skillful direction and innovative storytelling. The movie is a sophisticated and intricate portrait of French high society on the eve of World War II, with numerous characters whose lives intersect and whose stories intertwine in surprising ways.
Second, the film was notable for its technical innovations, such as the use of deep-focus cinematography, which allowed for multiple planes of action to be seen in the same shot. This technique was groundbreaking at the time and has since become a hallmark of modern cinematography.
Third, the film is notable for its biting social commentary and satirical portrayal of the French aristocracy. Renoir’s critique of the upper class was controversial at the time and caused the film to be banned by the French government shortly after its release.
Finally, The Rules of the Game has had a lasting impact on cinema, inspiring generations of filmmakers and influencing countless films that have followed in its wake. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made and remains a staple of film studies and cinematic history.
All true: lots of characters, intersecting storylines. I’ll take their word on it’s technical innovation – it certainly feels more modern than anything I’ve seen before. Moreover, it does portray the elite as self-centered and amoral, not really interested in anything but their liaisons and hunting.
But a lot of movies contain those elements today; this is one that didn’t feel particularly exemplary to me. Maybe it would have been more shocking, in it’s time. But I doubt it; the wealthy have been portrayed as craven and immoral for a long time.
Next week: Citizen Kane