It's not instantly engaging, the characters aren't that easy to like but somehow you get drawn into their lifeless and facile somnolence. It's thoroughly entertaining, it makes you think but it's not that enjoyable.
Renoir paints a pretty depressing picture of the society he was both an integral part of and also the outsider looking in on. It's hardly a loving reflection of the country's upper echelons but as we slowly get to know them (a bit too slowly in my opinion) we realise that they're all decent people, well meaning and very normal people - it's just that their own personal realities are different.
If you're expecting a comedy or 1930s style silliness you will be horribly disappointed. A screwball comedy, this ain't! There are some elements of slapstick and farce but the overriding sense of impending tragedy masks any humour. Nevertheless the upbeat mood is ever present and even in its most miserable moments such as the killing of the rabbits, you know that for every dark moment there will be some lightness on its way. Is it optimistic and uplifting? No, definitely not but neither is it depressing - it's just good drama, cleverly written, well acted and gorgeous to look at.
Director and writer Jean Renoir might not have been the world's greatest actor but he holds all this together. Not only does he link the dissolute upstairs and downstairs stories, his quirky and cheerful presence brings this to life. Without him, this would just be a well made but very dull and worthy film - like the world's most overrated film known as CITIZEN KANE.
Renoir paints a pretty depressing picture of the society he was both an integral part of and also the outsider looking in on. It's hardly a loving reflection of the country's upper echelons but as we slowly get to know them (a bit too slowly in my opinion) we realise that they're all decent people, well meaning and very normal people - it's just that their own personal realities are different.
If you're expecting a comedy or 1930s style silliness you will be horribly disappointed. A screwball comedy, this ain't! There are some elements of slapstick and farce but the overriding sense of impending tragedy masks any humour. Nevertheless the upbeat mood is ever present and even in its most miserable moments such as the killing of the rabbits, you know that for every dark moment there will be some lightness on its way. Is it optimistic and uplifting? No, definitely not but neither is it depressing - it's just good drama, cleverly written, well acted and gorgeous to look at.
Director and writer Jean Renoir might not have been the world's greatest actor but he holds all this together. Not only does he link the dissolute upstairs and downstairs stories, his quirky and cheerful presence brings this to life. Without him, this would just be a well made but very dull and worthy film - like the world's most overrated film known as CITIZEN KANE.