The River (1951)

Three adolescent girls growing up in Bengal, India, learn their lessons in life after falling for an older American soldier.

Director:

Jean Renoir

Writers:

Rumer Godden (novel), Rumer Godden (screenplay)

Stars:

Patricia Walters, Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Nora Swinburne	...	The Mother
Esmond Knight	...	The Father
Arthur Shields	...	Mr. John
Suprova Mukerjee	...	Nan
Thomas E. Breen	...	Capt. John
Patricia Walters	...	Harriet
Radha	...	Melanie
Adrienne Corri	...	Valerie
June Hillman	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

Harriet, now an adult, narrates the story of her coming of age growing up as a British national and a daughter of a jute press manager in the Bengal region of India, they living in the big house on the banks of one of the holy rivers. At the time, she is the eldest of six siblings - five girls and one boy - with another on the way and with she being significantly older the rest of her siblings. As such, she spends much time with an honorary member of their family, a late teen - not quite an adult - named Valerie, also a British national and the daughter of the jute press owner. Another friend, who recently arrived home from her western schooling, is Melanie, the biracial daughter of British national Mr. John and his then deceased Hindu wife. Both Mr. John and Melanie realize her difficult position, straddling both the Hindi and western cultures. Their small world is shaken up with the arrival of Captain John, Mr. John's cousin and an American ex-military man who has one prosthetic leg...

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Plot Keywords:

india | courage | insect | weeping | horse drawn carriage | 

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Taglines:

Beauty...Mystery...Delightful Humor...

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France UK India USA

Language:

English Bengali

Release Date:

19 December 1951 (France)

Also Known As:

The River

Filming Locations:

Ganges River, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Oriental International Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Renoir told Adrienne Corri that she had spoiled a take by moving her eyes twice instead of once. She later said that she "had no idea that such a small thing could mean so much".

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Goofs

In the narration at the start of the film Harriet states, "We were five children, four girls and my brother, Bogey." This is incorrect. There are actually five girls and a total of six children in the family; Harriet, Elizabeth, Muffie, Mouse, Victoria and Bogey.

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Quotes

Nan: I saw a spider this morning. That's lucky!

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Connections

Referenced in The Dick Cavett Show with Mel Brooks (2006)

User Reviews

Just life

This is one of those rare films which give you the impression after viewing it that you have truly lived and shared the lives of its characters (not just 'two people received that kiss', as they say in the film, but everyone who's watching the movie).

You became part of that river as the film progresses, it is perhaps the picture which has described the passage of time better than any other. It is life, running within its waters, that catches your soul, which melts with the river and the film and your memory...

I think it is the only movie that made me run to a bookstore to buy the book it was based on. Rumer Godden's work is beautiful indeed, but the film is far better for me.

Highly recommended!