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The Rules of the Game - Criterion Collection | Year: 1939 Classification: Foreign Film - French Directed: - Jean Renoir Actors/Actresses: - Nora Gregor - Marcel Dalio Pure Heaven I've been watching this movie intermittently for 30 years since I was first introduced to it in a film class at college. Seeing it in Criterion's spectacular transfer is falling in love again with this landmark of 20th century art. What was once squinting at a blurry reproduction is now a riveting experience in time travel, taking me back to what it must have been like to see it first run in 1939. The only thing that's missing are riots in theater, but I can do without that in my living room. As for the film itself, what's really striking is that what is one level a formalistic imitation of classical French drama interbreeds with some kind of prophetic documentary of sick souls and a sick society. Remember that in 1939, war was in the cards but nobody new if it would be a passing crisis or gateway to a new dark ages. Renoir didn't just stare into the abyss, he climbed down for a better look. It's a cliche to say that they don't make 'em like that any more. But here I'm torn between regret that such a thing is no longer possible and relief that it's no longer necessary. Review of the Criterion 2-disc DVD edition On the surface, THE RULES OF THE GAME is a frivolous satire of the French ruling class during the interwar years. But beneath it, this 1939 film is a rather sweeping appraisal on human nature and how the rigidity of our society continues to undermine our humanity. With a microcosmic cast of characters that comprises of masters and servants, the film weaves an intricate plot about their love, jealousies, deceit, infidelities, hypocrisies, misunderstandings, and, at times, reconciliations, and realignments of friends and foes. Through their travails, the film depicts a symbolic breakdown, and ultimately restoration, of the prevailing social order, resulting in the film being both a comedy and a tragedy. Director Jean Renoir also acts in the film, playing the pivotal role of an outsider (obviously a stand-in for the audience). His character's futile attempts to break into the "circle" and to bring about the well-beings of his friends suggest that it is often difficult to survive under the social order, let alone change it. The Criterion DVD is an all-region two-disc set with a newly restored video transfer and plenty of rewarding extra material. This eagerly-awaited disc was originally to be released last Fall, when Criterion had already finished a video transfer that would have looked better than any existing copy of the film. But at the last minute, Criterion received word that an earlier-generation fine-grain master of the film had been located in France, and that additional improvement, though not dramatic, could be made to the picture quality. Being the perfectionist that it often is, Criterion decided to redo the video transfer based on the fine-grain master, thus delaying the DVD's release by several months. According to the New York Times article "Hunting 'The Rules of the Game'" on Jan-18-04, the redone transfer justified the additional time and cost by yielding more details in dark areas and richer shades of grey on the picture, resulting in a less harsh look and perhaps subliminally making the characters in the film seem more sympathetic. The DVD's video quality is indeed the best I've ever seen. Its sharpness and clarity of details are a revelation to those who have seen, for instance, Criterion's laserdisc version years ago. A digital cleanup process has been used to eliminate much (but not all) of the dirt and blemishes. The original French audio track has also been improved, and it now sounds cleaner, with almost no hiss and pops, and more detailed. In a film that relies on its numerous visual and audio details to be effective, the technical improvements made for this DVD are absolutely worthwhile and welcomed. Accompanying the film is a superb analytical audio commentary written by film historian and Renoir's friend Alexander Sesonske, and read fluidly by Peter Bogdanovich. Recorded in 1989 for the Criterion laserdisc, this commentary analyzes the intricate relationships of the characters, how their actions often count One of the greatest movie ever. Hardly. Let's see. We have an aldulterer, a cheat, a liar, a slut & a guy with anger management issues. They all exist in this ultra chic, super rich sub-culture. If such a time (the 30's) & place ever existed it is easy to see why the French lost to the Germans, one year after this movie was actually made.<BR> It is of course a satire & a pretty good one at that. The host, of a weekend hunting party has a mistress. He is afraid his wife is going have an affair with the another guest a hero flyer a la Charles Lindberg. But she has other admirers as well. My favorite character is the slut, the maid whose new husband take exception to her behavior. The whole mess is overseen by Jean Renoir, the director, who is also a major player in the movie itself. Eventually there is a murder. I won't tell who is murdered or who the murderer is here. On the dvd there is an alternate ending. A shorter version of the last scenes came out in 1959. This imparts a totally different context from the original which was banned in 1939. It is well done & gives different meanings to the motives of all involved. The major drawback is it is in French with English subtitles. But you'd want to pay strict attention to this one in any case. Buy The Rules Of The Game at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on The Rules Of The Game Search with the Priority Search Engine on The Rules Of The Game This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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