Renoir’s
Rules of the Game as an exemplar of
poetic realism
The evolution of the Poetic Realist
style, provided the French film industry of the 1930’s an authentic outlet for
the first time since sound was introduced. Poetic Realism captures the lives of
French men and women in a way that is considered to be authentic in nature. The
time period during which it flourished was a time of social and political
upheaval, seeing the rise of fascism both within and outside France’s borders.
Director’s such as Jean Renoir used the medium of film to express both political
views, leaning very much to the left, and the lives of French people in a
Realist manner. His celebrated film Rules
of the Game (1939) demonstrates the Poetic Realist style, exploring lives
determined by their social circumstances. A film that reflects the society that
produced it.
Poetic realism pushed back against
the tide of filmed theatre. Furthermore, it was a rebellion against the
idealistic, even romantic, nature of films such as Under the Roofs of Paris (1930). While making René Clair
internationally famous, the film failed to capture the imaginations of
Parisians due to the romanticised veil draped across its characters (Lanzoni,
2015). Rather than romanticising life, the poetic realist style was romantic,
in the tradition of romanticism. Quoting Victor Hugo “the character of drama is
reality…” Beatrice Young (1932) acknowledges that reality is distorted by reflecting
only the better nature and pleasantries of the world. At a time in which the
invention of sound in cinema was forcing a re-imagination of what cinema could
do, in a climate of financial depression and rising fascism, it was natural for
artists of all types to want to reflect this reality. Directors were no
different.
Through this lens, the idea of
poetic realism becomes less of a “contradiction” (Lanzoni, 2015) and more of a
natural fit. The directors, like the poet, consider the world and reflect their
perceptions of it to an audience. The tradition of art holding a mirror to
society. The results of this attitude created a “heightened reality…more real
than the real, more credible than the documentary” (Crisp, 2015). An exposé of
the lives of the subjects.
These lives were explored through
complete characters rather than caricatures, or stereotypes, in a realistic setting.
Life was shown through an attention to mise-en-scéne not explored in filmed
theatre (Lanzoni, 2015). The importance of camera placement and the sets
themselves became vitally important to the story telling, bringing both realism
and expressionism to the screen. Plots included the working class, not as some
romanticised figure undertaking laborious yet noble work, but as a character
with their own hopes and dreams (Lanzoni, 2015). The bourgeoisie were likewise
complete, neither to be despised or admired, to be appreciated by the viewer in
their own right.
A variety of themes were explored though
there are some common tendencies. From Carné’s François in Daybreak to Renoir’s mix of characters in Rules of the Game, protagonists and antagonists alike confront life
changing dilemmas, namely love and the pursuit of affection. Tragedy often
ensues, highlighting the hopeless quest for a perfect love or even, at times,
happiness (Lanzoni, 2015). Coupled with a socially conscious perspective, the
focus on relatable themes resonated with mainstream audiences (Smith, 2011).
Techniques developed upon those
explored before the advent of sound, creating a new aesthetic quality. “Chiaroscuro
lighting, background artifices, evocative visual imagery, and wittiness of
dialogue” (Lanzoni, 2015) created this distinctive style. Actors occupied the
screen in a dominant fashion, creating representations in their own right.
Jean Renoir is a name synonymous with
poetic realism, perhaps only rivalled by Marcel Carné. Son of Pierre Auguste,
he began film making at the end of World War I, directing his first film, Backbiters, in 1924 (IMDb, 2018). Many
critics consider Renoir to be among the finest directors of all time. James
Leahy (2003) states that in “Renoir’s art, every line of dialogue, every
action, every detail of dress, gesture, posture and setting needs to be taken
into account” in order to prevent misunderstanding of characterisation
and theme. Renoir’s attention to detail is conveyed through his belief that
directing was in many ways similar to being a chef; while it is the chef that
brings it all together it is the many staff that produce the various
ingredients (Leahy, 2003). Considered his greatest masterpiece of the poetic
realism era, Rules of the Game stands
as one of the most influential films ever made.
A commentary on French society, Rules of the Game is a metaphor for how Renoir
saw the culture around him. Rather than celebrating the hero as in other films
of the style, Renoir crushes André right at the start of the film. His
devastation, the death of his love in the film’s beginning, is mirrored by his
death at the end. Crisp (2015) suggests that the fact the hero is an aviator is
a personalisation, reflecting Renoir’s own life. That the hero, the outsider,
is rejected by all, his death seen as but an accident, is best summarised by
the Marquis telling his guests just that (Cardullo, 2011). Their willing acceptance
of this explanation highlights the perception that playing by the rules of the
game is more important than what is just.
Renoir’s pre-war snapshot of aristocratic
life, much heralded now, was, at the time of its release, rejected by
audiences. While Crisp (2015) might call it “one of the most nearly perfect
films ever made”, others deemed it too depressing, leading to the reediting of Rules of the Game (Lanzoni, 2015). While
the view of many commentators is challenged by Crisp (2015), there is no doubt
that Rules of the Game gained greater
recognition and acclaim in the decades following. A distribution that was interrupted
by World War II certainly did not help.
The aesthetic features certainly
match the style of poetic realism, though, at the same time, reflect Renoir’s
sensibilities and vision. Long takes and extreme depths of field allow the
viewer to feel that they are part of the scene, just standing out of shot. As
such, the viewer is able to pick and choose what they focus on: the dialogue in
the foreground of the shot, or the action behind it all (Smith, 2011). The
setting itself served both an emotive and aesthetic purpose for Renoir. The
Chateau and Sologne region were of a grace noticed by himself and his father
before him (Sesonske, 1980) and serve as a backdrop that highlights the
aristocratic sensibilities of the film’s main characters. These elements contribute
to the creation of a space for Renoir to insert his social commentary.
While many films of the poetic
realism style focus on the struggles of the working class, in Rules of the Game Renoir has cast a
satirical gaze across the aristocratic class and their associated hangers on. Renoir
created a “compelling assessment of French society gone astray on the eve of
conflict” (Lanzoni, 2015), a society more concerned with petty loves and
propriety than the world collapsing around them. Renoir placed the
responsibility for the imminence of war directly onto the bourgeoisie therefore
making them a target for his satire (Crisp, 2015). While surely accurate to an
extent, this did little to please certain members of his audience at the time.
Perhaps a little too close to home.
The dialogue itself is witty at a
first viewing with more to offer from those subsequent. The plot is carried
through the many twists and turns taken as the characters delve deeper and deeper
into their intertwined world. The exploration of unrequited, then requited,
then unrequited love ad nauseum of the “upstairs” aristocrats is reflected by
those “downstairs”, though in a far more vulgar fashion (Cardullo, 2011); the
pursuit of Lisette by Marceau provides a striking example of the latter, being
almost slapstick in nature. The weight Renoir gives to the dialogue drives the
narrative along in a manner archetypal of poetic realism.
While there are a number of scenes that
could be looked at in order to further explore the film and how Rules of the Game shows the poetic realism
style, the forthcoming focus will be on two crucial scenes. The hunting scene
is probably the most dramatic and memorable of the whole movie. It is a hinging
point for all that comes after. The very first scene, as André Jurieux lands
after his heroic journey, gives clues to the drama to come. The audience
realises at once the depth of feeling and it highlights Renoir’s deeper message
that lays hidden behind the love story.
The hunt scene is the most action
packed scene of Rules of the Game
with much in the way of technique and symbolism. The use of medium close ups
out to medium long shots places the viewer within the hunting party, catching
snippets of conversation ranging from the mundane to the intimate. The montage
of the death of rabbits and birds is contrasted with the longer takes within
that scene and throughout the film. This positions the viewer to reflect on the
casual nature in which the hunters make their kills.
The critical plot point within this
scene sees Christine confirming her suspicions regarding the Marquis and
Genevieve. Although she must have had her suspicions, this realisation changes
her intended course of action. Of course, Octave is there, playing the imp on
the boundary of mischief. Similar to Macbeth’s Ross. There is an element of
dramatic irony here, as the viewer is aware that the kiss shared between the
Marquis and Genevieve is a parting one. Spying from Christine’s point of view,
through the ocular lens, creates a medium shot, peering at a supposed intimate moment.
The close up of Christine and Octave ends the scene, linking them together in
the viewers mind.
The opening credit sequence
finishes with the lines “If Cupid was given wings / was it not to flitter”,
setting the scene for the romantic farce to come. Renoir has the hero
surrounded with well-wishers proclaiming the accolades due a hero, creating a
busy scene of jubilation. Again, the use of a range of medium long shots places
the viewer in the crowd. André himself is seen to be a reluctant hero with a
small, tired smile on his face. The dynamic nature of the camera as it follows
the crowds and the plane further imbues the sense of excitement.
The weight of the movie begins to
evolve from the interview with André. At this stage the viewer is as unaware of
Octave’s role in André’s love life as André is himself. The smile leaves his
face as he learns of the absence of Christine. In the forthcoming interview he
is clear in his disappointment, calling her “disloyal”. This open frankness is
perhaps the last seen in the film. André’s nature is a counterpoint to the
duplicitous nature of the other characters in the film.
Renoir has brought all of his
directorial skills to Rules of the Game,
creating a film that works as well today as it did when first released. In
style, aesthetics and content Rules of
the Game is an exemplary illustration of the poetic realism style. Renoir
has used the lives of his characters to create a social commentary on the state
of French culture on the eve of World War II. In doing so he has inspired many
future directors through a film that stands the test of time.
References
Cradullo, B. 2011. Re-reading the rules: Renoir’s La Régle du
jeu reconsidered. Post script. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
Crisp, C. 2015. French cinema – a critical filmography.
Indiana University Press.
Internet Movie Database (IMDb). 2018. Jean Renoir. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0719756/
Lanzoni, Rémi. 2015. French cinema: from its beginnings to the
present. Bloomsbury Academic, New York.
Leahy, J. 2003. Renoir, Jean. Retrieved from Senses of
cinema. Website: http://sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/renoir/
Renoir, J. 1939. La régle du jeu.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK0beGXqZBI&t=3036s
Sesonske, Alexander (1980). Jean Renoir: The French Films,
1924–1939. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Smith, M. 2011. The poetic realism of Jean Renoir. Retrieved
from White city cinema. Website: https://whitecitycinema.com/2011/07/07/the-poetic-realism-of-jean-renoir/
Young, B. 1932. What
is mean ty romanticism in France with special reference to the drama. The modern Language Journal, Vol, 16, No
5. Retrieved Wednesday 19 December 2018.
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