The Rules of the Game (1939)
La règle du jeu (original title)Reference View | Change View
- Not Rated
- 1h 50min
- Comedy, Drama
- 08 Apr 1950 (USA)
- Movie
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.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- 2 wins & 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Nora Gregor | ... |
Christine de la Cheyniest
(as Nora Grégor)
|
|
| Paulette Dubost | ... |
Lisette, sa camériste
|
|
| Mila Parély | ... |
Geneviève de Marras
|
|
| Odette Talazac | ... |
Mme de la Plante
|
|
 |
Claire Gérard | ... |
Mme de la Bruyère
|
|
|
Anne Mayen | ... |
Jackie, nièce de Christine
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
Eddy Debray | ... |
Corneille, le majordome
|
|
|
Pierre Nay | ... |
St. Aubin
|
|
|
Richard Francoeur | ... |
La Bruyère
(as Francoeur)
|
|
|
Léon Larive | ... |
Le cuisinier
|
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
|
|
Nicolas Amato | ... |
L'invité sud-américain (uncredited)
|
|
|
Jacques Beauvais | ... |
Adolphe, un domestique (uncredited)
|
|
|
Henri Cartier-Bresson | ... |
Le domestique anglais (uncredited)
|
|
|
Celestin | ... |
Le garçon de cuisine (uncredited)
|
|
|
Tony Corteggiani | ... |
Berthelin (uncredited)
|
|
|
Geo Forster | ... |
Un invité (uncredited)
|
|
|
Roger Forster | ... |
L'invité efféminé (uncredited)
|
|
|
Camille François | ... |
Le speaker (uncredited)
|
|
|
Jenny Hélia | ... |
La servante (uncredited)
|
|
|
Maurice Marceau | ... |
Un garde-chasse (uncredited)
|
|
|
Marcel Melrac | ... |
Célestin, l'aide cuisinier (uncredited)
|
|
|
André Zwobada | ... |
L'ingénieur (uncredited)
|
Directed by
| Jean Renoir | ||
Written by
| Jean Renoir | ... | (scenario) |
| Jean Renoir | ... | (dialogue) |
| Carl Koch | ... | (collaborating writer) (as Koch) |
| Beaumarchais | ... | (opening poem) |
Produced by
| Jean Renoir | ... | producer (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| Jean Bachelet | ... | (as Bachelet) |
Editing by
| Marthe Huguet | ... | (as Mme Huguet) |
| Marguerite Renoir | ... | (as Marguerite) |
Production Design by
| Max Douy | ... | (as Douy) |
| Eugène Lourié | ... | (as Lourié) |
Costume Design by
| Coco Chanel | ... | (as La Maison Chanel) |
Makeup Department
| Ralph | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Camille François | ... | production supervisor |
| Raymond Pillon | ... | unit manager (as Pillon) |
| Claude Renoir Sr. | ... | production manager (as Claude Renoir) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Henri Cartier-Bresson | ... | assistant director (as Henri Cartier) |
| André Zwobada | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Max Douy | ... | assistant production designer (as Douy) |
Sound Department
| Joseph de Bretagne | ... | sound engineer (as De Bretagne) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Jean-Paul Alphen | ... | camera operator (as Alphen) |
| Jacques Lemare | ... | camera operator |
| Sam Levin | ... | still photographer |
| Alain Renoir | ... | camera operator |
| Jean Mousselle | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Jules Baldran | ... | lyrics: additional music |
| Louis Byrec | ... | composer: additional music |
| Roger Desormière | ... | musical arranger: Mozart and Monsigny (as Roger Desormières) |
| Léopold Gangloff | ... | composer: additional music |
| Joseph Kosma | ... | music arranger |
| Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny | ... | music by (as Monsigny) |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | ... | music by (as Mozart) |
| Eugène Rimbault | ... | lyrics: additional music |
Script and Continuity Department
| Dido Freire | ... | script girl (uncredited) |
Thanks
| André Bazin | ... | dedicated to the memory of |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Distribution Parisienne de Films (DPF) (1939) (France) (theatrical) (as La Distribution Parisienne de Films)
- New London Film Society (1946) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Cine Classics (1950) (United States) (theatrical) (English subtitles)
- Brandon Films (1961) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release) (subtitled)
- Les Grands Films Classiques (GFC) (1961) (France) (theatrical) (restored)
- Aito Mäkinen (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1971) (Finland) (tv)
- 2ème chaîne ORTF (1972) (France) (tv)
- ABC-Kinot (1977) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Kino International (1977) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Animatógrafo (1979) (Portugal) (theatrical) (re-release) (35 mm)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1985) (Finland) (tv)
- The Criterion Collection (1993) (United States) (video) (laserdisc) (subtitled)
- Éditions Montparnasse (1998) (France) (VHS)
- Janus Films (2003) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- BFI Video (2003) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Éditions Montparnasse (2003) (France) (DVD) (remastered)
- The Criterion Collection (2004) (United States) (DVD) (subtitled)
- Versátil Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Films Classiques, Les (2005) (France) (DVD) (division: Edition Montparnasse)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD) (subtitled)
- Éditions Montparnasse (2005) (France) (DVD) (HD new master)
- Homescreen (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Carousel Films (2010) (Greece) (DVD)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (video) (VOD) (subtitled)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (tv) (subtitled)
- Filmconfect Home Entertainment (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
- Future Film (2012) (Finland) (DVD)
- Films sans Frontières (2020) (World-wide)
- The Criterion Channel (2020) (United States) (tv) (digital, subtitled)
- Carousel Films (2024) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Chanel (dress)
- Western Electric (sound truck)
- Paris Studios Cinéma (sound post-production)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
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 |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | One of the two or three greatest films ever made in France. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
|
Additional Details
| Also Known As |
|
| Runtime |
|
| Country | |
| Language | |
| Color | |
| Aspect Ratio |
|
| Sound Mix | |
| Filming Locations |
Box Office
| Budget | FRF5,500,500 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | After the success of The Grand Illusion (1937) and The Human Beast (1938), Jean Renoir and his nephew Claude Renoir set up their own production company, Les Nouvelles Editions Françaises (NEF). This was their first and last production, as the company went into bankruptcy and was dissolved due to the ban of their movie after just three weeks of shows. See more » |
| Goofs | When the hunting party starts, the animals (notably the rabbits) barely move. Even when the beaters are close to them, they move at the last moment. This because the animals were not wild as the plot required, but actually bred in captivity and hence used to human presence. For information, the killing is real: many animals died during the movie. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Seul le cinéma (1994). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Dreizehn Deutsche Tänze, K. 605, No. 1 See more » |
| Quotes |
Octave:
The awful thing about life is this: Everybody has their reasons. See more » |