A bourgeois life in France at the onset of World War II, as the rich and their poor servants meet up at a French chateau.
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Title: The Rules of the Game (1939)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Nora Gregor | ... | Christine de la Cheyniest (as Nora Grégor) | |
| Paulette Dubost | ... | Lisette, sa camériste | |
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Mila Parély | ... | Geneviève de Marras |
| Odette Talazac | ... | Madame Charlotte de la Plante | |
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Claire Gérard | ... | Madame de la Bruyère |
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Anne Mayen | ... | Jackie, nièce de Christine |
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Lise Elina | ... | Radio-Reporter (as Lise Élina) |
| Marcel Dalio | ... | Marquis Robert de la Cheyniest (as Dalio) | |
| Julien Carette | ... | Marceau, le braconnier (as Carette) | |
| Roland Toutain | ... | André Jurieux | |
| Gaston Modot | ... | Edouard Schumacher, le garde-chasse | |
| Jean Renoir | ... | Octave | |
| Pierre Magnier | ... | Le général | |
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Eddy Debray | ... | Corneille, le majordome |
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Pierre Nay | ... | Monsieur de St. Aubin |
On the brink of WWII, the record-breaking aviator, André Jurieux, safely lands at a small airport crammed with reporters, only to come face-to-face with his worst fear: the object of his desire, Christine, a blonde noblewoman and wife of the affluent Marquis de la Cheyniest, Robert, is not there to greet him. Intent on winning her back, André accepts his friend Octave's invitation for a lavish hunting weekend at the aristocrat's palatial country estate at La Coliniere, among hand-picked guests and the mansion's servants. However, intrigue, rivalries, and human weaknesses threaten to expose royalty and paupers alike. Who will breach first the unwritten rules of the game? Written by Nick Riganas
I'm sure that pretty much anyone who decides to watch this film will be aware of it's status among many critics as one of the greatest films ever made. It may not be exactly that, but it is still a very good movie.
The basic story involves a group of wealthy French aristocrats getting together for a weekend's hunting party at a country chateau just before the start of World War 2. However it's not long before the guests, their hosts and the servants are involved in some complex romantic problems.
The film is beautifully made. Every shot is perfectly well composed and filmed. The film's director, Jean Renoir, was the son of the famous Impressionist painter Auguste Renoir, and Jean Renoir certainly had a good painter's eye himself.
The film depicts a world of casual cruelty and betrayal hidden behind it's polite and civilised facade. Everyone has to play by the iron-bound social rules ("the rules of the game") and those who don't, suffer for it.
Cynical, but often very amusing, this film provoked riots when it premiered in France in a severely shortened form. It exists in various different lengths. The version I saw was a restored 110 minute version on DVD.
This is a film that will not be to all tastes, but it is required viewing for all fans of French cinema or for anyone interested in the history of world cinema.