tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post7891317384824135231..comments2023-07-23T09:45:33.199-05:00Comments on the last lullaby (and) peril: 1936: Les bas-fonds (Jean Renoir)Jeffrey Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-53536337684608677782010-02-12T22:03:35.875-06:002010-02-12T22:03:35.875-06:00Wow, that sounds like an incredible experience you...Wow, that sounds like an incredible experience you had with the Chaplin. I definitely need to revisit it, and plan to very soon. <br /><br />I have a good feeling about you and some of these early Renoirs. They're very noir and even gritty. I could see you really digging some of them. Let me know if you ever catch one of them. I'd love to hear about it.Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-87618597906582640522010-02-12T18:21:40.498-06:002010-02-12T18:21:40.498-06:00No doubter for me again this year - Charlie Chapli...No doubter for me again this year - Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times. It's my favorite Chaplin film and I will always cherish the memories of watching this in a college film class, where no one had any interest in a "silent film" and then watching as everyone was rolling in laughter. A great, great movie that I love.<br /><br />I haven't seen your selection, Jeffrey, but as I said earlier I need to make time to get through some more Renoir than just The Rules of the Game and Grand Illusion.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-70489638462026916392010-02-12T13:30:46.983-06:002010-02-12T13:30:46.983-06:00Ed, thanks so much for the great comments! Yes, t...Ed, thanks so much for the great comments! Yes, to me, this Renoir period ranks up there as one of the finest in the history of film. I'd put it up there with other great director's periods like Godard in the early sixties, Wenders in the late seventies/early eighties, Coppola in the seventies, Kiarostami in the nineties, etc. I highly recommend almost everything from Renoir at this time.<br /><br />I hate that I haven't seen this early Hawks. I definitely will rectify that soon and look forward to seeing those Hitchcock films, too.<br /><br />Thanks again, Ed, for the great perspective! Always good to see you here.Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-69376238520964809872010-02-12T12:39:03.331-06:002010-02-12T12:39:03.331-06:00I still need to see this one, along with a lot of ...I still need to see this one, along with a lot of other Renoirs. But you've certainly given me yet another nudge towards delving into Renoir further; I love <i>Grand Illusion</i> and admire <i>Rules of the Game</i> and <i>Boudu Saved from Drowning</i> quite a bit, so I definitely need to explore this great director more.<br /><br />As for your to-see picks, it seems to be a year for minor works: <i>Road to Glory</i> is enjoyable but kind of a patchwork of earlier Hawks successes rather than anything truly fresh or original. Likewise, <i>Secret Agent</i> and <i>Sabotage</i> are both relatively minor Hitchcocks, not quite the peak of his British period.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-694488869711332772010-02-12T10:50:01.073-06:002010-02-12T10:50:01.073-06:00Sam, thanks so much for the excellent comments! I...Sam, thanks so much for the excellent comments! If you re-visit this Renoir, I'd love to hear about it. It's one of my favorite Gabin performances (and the guy's extraordinary, I think) and the most I've ever liked Jouvet. <br /><br />I haven't seen MAYERLING either but just added it to the queue. <br /><br />Your recent experience with MODERN TIMES definitely sounds tremendous. I will re-visit the film very soon as it could certainly be one that just missed me for some reason the first time around. And I do really love some of the other Chaplins. <br /><br />Thanks again, Sam, for the tremendous expertise here! It's very much appreciated and extremely helpful.Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-92043370277089745742010-02-12T10:34:20.108-06:002010-02-12T10:34:20.108-06:00"One thing I love so much about Renoir is the..."One thing I love so much about Renoir is the tone he's able to strike in these early films. He manages to be an extraordinary humanist without ever becoming overly sentimental. Not an easy balance to strike, and I think Renoir does it as well as anyone."<br /><br />Indeed Jeffrey, I quite agree. I like this Renoir, but for me it's lost in the shuffle, as other Renoirs have dominated more with me. The Criterion DVD set with the later Kurosawa re-make you mention is a revered item in my collection, and at some point-based on your deep and abiding love, I will re-visit it. For me there are three top level masterpieces from this year, and a number of others that push close.<br /><br />Charles Chaplin made three feature length masterpieces in his career, CITY LIGHTS, THE GOLD RUSH and MODERN TIMES, the last of which I select as the best film of 1936, and in fact one of the best films of the entire decade. I recently was fortunate to see this brilliant work at the Loews Jersey Movie Palace in Jersey City New Jersey as I reported at our Monday Morning Diary a few months back, and it was a most successful introduction of the peerless Little Tramp to my five kids. This latest viewing after a lifetime of veneration only accentuated it's mastery --the conveyor belt scenes, the food taster, the society party, the use of the song "Smile" that Chaplin wrote - one of the greatest songs penned in the 20th Century and the poignant underpinning of this deeply emotional and lasting film. The exceedingly poetic Renoir film that you note, UNE PARTIE DE CAMPAGNE is surely -I agree- one of the greatest short films ever made, certainly on a level with Resnais's NIGHT AND FOG and Lamorisee's THE RED BALLOON. Anatole Litvak's ravishing romance, MAYERLING - recently released on a Criterion DVD is the third irrefutable masterpiece for me.<br /><br />My Own #1 Film of 1936:<br /><br />Modern Times (Chaplin)<br /><br />Runners-Up:<br /><br />Une Partie de Campagne (Renoir)<br />Mayerling (Litvak)<br />Osaka Elegy (Mizoguchi)<br />My Man Godfrey (La Cava)<br />Mr. Thank You (Shimizu)<br />Rembrandt (Korda)<br />Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (Capra)<br />Swing Time (Stevens)<br />Show Boat (Whale)<br />Cesar (Pagnol)<br />Desire (Borzage)<br />Dodsworth (Wyler)<br /><br />Another stellar annual recap!!!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.com