Monday 23 March 2015

The River (1951 Jean Renoir)

Adapted from her somewhat autobiographical novel (1946) by Rumer Godden.

Nora Swinburn and Esmond Knight are the parents of Patricia Walters, Richard Foster etc. Next door lives Thomas Breen and nephew Arthur Shields, and daughter Radha. Adrienne Corri is a wilful friend.

Beautifully lit by Claude Renoir, film has a simple, gentle approach, punctuated by dissolves.

The boy's intense fascination with the cobra is transfixing, as is the story about Krishna / dance sequence. I love the scene where all three girls have received letters from the young man ... but as they hear the new born baby's cries, they all drop them...

Notice how in the scene where Walters and Corri 'grow up' the music changes to classical after being ethnic Indian all the way through.

One of those films that grows on you after you've seen them.

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