[WGH]

At first viewing The Rules of the Game appears to be a typical French farce with shallow upper class characters but look below the surface and there is a lot more going on. Directed by Jean Renoir, the son of French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, he knew all about the upper class. Released in July 1939 when Europe was on the cusp of WWII, Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939, TRotG not only made fun of the bourgeoisie -- it blamed them. Alexander Sesonske wrote Renoir wanted to depict a certain part of society, "the upper middle class whose blindness and intransigence had helped create the hopeless situation of Europe in 1939."

Needless to say the critics, bureaucrats and audience did not appreciate Renoir's sentiments. After cutting out the objectionable parts the edited version fared no better. In October 1939 The Rules of the Game was officially banned in France for being "depressing, morbid, immoral [and] having an undesirable influence over the young."¹ The film was not screened again until 1959.

The Rules of the Game follows the flirting and romantic flings of married couples at a French country mansion, the ladies know the rules, the men think they are in love. The film has too many characters to sort out here, it's best to read one of the many plot descriptions before viewing. Like a Shakespeare play, your enjoyment is not ruined by knowing the plot beforehand, it's the execution, excellent acting and camera work will amaze.

Director Jean Renoir (center) also plays friend and confidant Octave


The Rules of the Game is know for the deep focus scenes, there is always a lot going in both the foreground and background. In other scenes the camera is fluidly moving with long tracking shots navigating hectic, chaotic partiers at a masked ball.




Orson Welles was inspired by Renoir and used both deep space and deep focus 2 years later in Citizen Kane (1941) and perfecting the long tracking shot in Touch of Evil (1958).

Wim Wenders was inspired by the way the camera seems to effortlessly float through the frivolity and chaos of the manor house.

Robert Altman said: “I learned the rules of the game from The Rules of the Game.” Indeed, Altman’s film Gosford Park is inspired by the plot and characters of The Rules of the Game. But more importantly, Altman would appropriate Renoir’s use of deep space, diverse ensemble casts, and overlapping dialogue.

Bernardo Bertolucci called it his favorite movie of all time.²

The Rules of the Game is still #4 in The 100 Greatest Films of All Time, updated June 28, 2021
https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time

Lisa Thatcher has an excellent review and plot description
https://lisathatcher.com/2012/07/03/the-rules-of-the-game-greatest-film-ever-made/


Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxs4P6u1EiI

The restored 106 minute print is available on the Criterion channel
https://www.criterion.com/films/295-the-rules-of-the-game


 

¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rules_of_the_Game
² https://decorahstories.com/spotlight-on-a-classic-the-rules-of-the-game/

[Randy]

I saw it back in the 60's when I was a student at Michigan.  One of the best films I've ever seen.  Same for "Grand Illusion," another of Renoir's masterpieces.