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The Best of Jean Renoir
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Named the world’s greatest director by Chaplin and Welles, revered “spiritual godfather” of the French New Wave, father of Italian neo-realism, master of mise-en-scene, deep staging, choreography and unobtrusive camerawork; international humanist, 30s leftist, enthusiast for theatre and literature, writer, actor, producer, improviser, maestro cinematic fuser of the arts, pilot, wounded WW1 chevalier, one-time potter, warm, engaging and collaborative auteur, affable uncle figure, lyrical nature lover (but toughened rabbit killer), tireless experimenter, grand teller of tales, all-round good guy (but apparently not the kindest of the brothers), influence on Satyajit Ray and the ensuing recognition of Indian cinema, and yes, he had the rare spark to surpass his more famous father, delving deep into major issues and human nature with satirical bite as well as a fine non-judgmental spirit. Renoir was vehemently opposed to the greed and exploitation of capitalism (as well as hateful nationalism and artificial boundaries between people). He valued the individual as well as the collective. The individuals in his films are full of character and life.
Next to Renoir, the current crop of directors seem narrow, mannered, coldly calculating or else juvenile wannabes resorting to overblown bombast. Where is his equal today?
~~~
QUOTES
"You can't see the borders. They're man-made. Nature couldn't care less" (Grand Illusion)
"How to describe him? He really is the man in the bearskin in La Regle du Jeu: debonair, decisive, healthy, concealing his force and his finesse with a mask of slow deliberation and of patience" (Jacques Doniol- Valcroze)
"A little like a bear, a little slow, slightly lost in the clouds, Jean Renoir doesn't throw himself at people; nor do his films; one must merit their confidence...when he practises his craft, he's unleashed, he spares nothing, he delivers himself over to his demon" (Alexandre Arnoux)
"Perhaps the least reassuring part of Renoir's vision is that, despite a lack of emphasis on malice, it pivots on disorder: rape, murder, and revolution" (Ray Durgnat)
"Gently, without seeming to, he dismantles everything and begins all over again. Seduced, the actors purr, stretch, arch their backs under the velvet glove" (Gaston Modot)
"In the thick of his nebula, like a medium, Renoir springs to life. He agitates it, turns it this way and that, kneads it, places it, fixes it. He could say, with Picasso, "i do not seek, i find." (Gaston Modot)
"a gigantic silhouette on the horizon of our waning century" (Orson Welles)
"Jean Renoir thinks he's a collective" (Film Review)
"Everyone has their reasons" (The Rules of the Game)
" There is not one character in The Rules of the Game who's worth the bother of saving" (Jean Renoir)
"When i make a film i am asking others to influence me" (Jean Renoir)
"We want to encourage plagiarism" (Jean Renoir)
"What Hollywood really needs is a good bombing" (Jean Renoir)
"Pottery, of all the arts, is the nearest to cinema" (Jean Renoir)
“To the question, ‘Is the cinema an art?’ my answer is, ‘what does it matter?’… You can make films or you can cultivate a garden. Both have as much claim to being called an art as a poem by Verlaine or a painting by Delacroix… Art is ‘making.’ The art of poetry is the art of making poetry. The art of love is the art of making love… My father never talked to me about art. He could not bear the word.” (Jean Renoir)
"My chief aim was the one which I have been pursuing ever since I started making films—to express the common humanity of man." (Jean Renoir)
~~~
The films below are a personal selection of his films: many would include La Chienne which i'm not so keen on
Next to Renoir, the current crop of directors seem narrow, mannered, coldly calculating or else juvenile wannabes resorting to overblown bombast. Where is his equal today?
~~~
QUOTES
"You can't see the borders. They're man-made. Nature couldn't care less" (Grand Illusion)
"How to describe him? He really is the man in the bearskin in La Regle du Jeu: debonair, decisive, healthy, concealing his force and his finesse with a mask of slow deliberation and of patience" (Jacques Doniol- Valcroze)
"A little like a bear, a little slow, slightly lost in the clouds, Jean Renoir doesn't throw himself at people; nor do his films; one must merit their confidence...when he practises his craft, he's unleashed, he spares nothing, he delivers himself over to his demon" (Alexandre Arnoux)
"Perhaps the least reassuring part of Renoir's vision is that, despite a lack of emphasis on malice, it pivots on disorder: rape, murder, and revolution" (Ray Durgnat)
"Gently, without seeming to, he dismantles everything and begins all over again. Seduced, the actors purr, stretch, arch their backs under the velvet glove" (Gaston Modot)
"In the thick of his nebula, like a medium, Renoir springs to life. He agitates it, turns it this way and that, kneads it, places it, fixes it. He could say, with Picasso, "i do not seek, i find." (Gaston Modot)
"a gigantic silhouette on the horizon of our waning century" (Orson Welles)
"Jean Renoir thinks he's a collective" (Film Review)
"Everyone has their reasons" (The Rules of the Game)
" There is not one character in The Rules of the Game who's worth the bother of saving" (Jean Renoir)
"When i make a film i am asking others to influence me" (Jean Renoir)
"We want to encourage plagiarism" (Jean Renoir)
"What Hollywood really needs is a good bombing" (Jean Renoir)
"Pottery, of all the arts, is the nearest to cinema" (Jean Renoir)
“To the question, ‘Is the cinema an art?’ my answer is, ‘what does it matter?’… You can make films or you can cultivate a garden. Both have as much claim to being called an art as a poem by Verlaine or a painting by Delacroix… Art is ‘making.’ The art of poetry is the art of making poetry. The art of love is the art of making love… My father never talked to me about art. He could not bear the word.” (Jean Renoir)
"My chief aim was the one which I have been pursuing ever since I started making films—to express the common humanity of man." (Jean Renoir)
~~~
The films below are a personal selection of his films: many would include La Chienne which i'm not so keen on
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