Released between LA GRANDE ILLUSION/’37 and LA BÊTE HUMAINE/’38, Jean Renoir’s two biggest hits of the 1930s, this crowd-funded historical on the start of the French Revolution never found a crowd . . . in France or elsewhere. And subsequent re-releases fared little better. The recent, uneven 2018 restoration allows you to see why; yet also makes a case for the pic. An ADHD first half pilots a series of vignettes, with stops at Louis XVI’s court when not arresting down-and-out poachers or listening to discontented army rebels in Marseillaise where a catchy tune with grisly lyrics is making the rounds. (Look for a wine barrel acting as Trojan Horse and for principled foreign mercenaries.) The film structure a pageant of pit stops played as political vaudeville alternately pleasing and annoying the left-wing Popular Front backers currently (if briefly) running France. Our level of engagement interrupted by changing POVs of class, location and political philosophy; with dialogue taken as much as possible from public records. Narrative traction missing till the hoards head North with the goal of taking the palace from the court. Their reaction? Indifference. Plenty of military drills promising safety. Now, Renoir’s concept finds purpose and shape, while his use of massed force (unexpectedly monumental) grips us with inevitable clash and slaughter. Plus powerhouse opposition coming from Pierre Renoir’s Louis XVI and from Louis Jouvet’s Revolutionary Committee Head. The People United Will Never Be Divided. Sure, but great acting tends to bend feelings at the Movies.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: The uneven quality of picture elements on the restoration must reflect editions at various lengths in failed attempts to recoup costs.
No comments:
Post a Comment