Comedy and tragedy are blended effortlessly in this French-inspired work of family life by Jean Renoir
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"La règle du jeu" has reached a high level in film history, both in terms of shooting skills and in terms of the intensity of thematic irony. The interweaving of high-spirited drama and vaudeville burlesque makes the film both a great work of art and a touch of the anarchic taste of some slapstick slapstick. At the same time, due to the superb photography art and the wonderful performances of the actors throughout, the film has established its status in the annals of history.
Set against the backdrop of the class order of the 1930s in France, the film paints a caricature of social relations that makes fun of both the aristocracy and the working class. However, because of its profound sensitivity and provocative analysis of human nature, the film has a timeless quality that has positive implications for every generation of moviegoers.
One of the most striking features of the film is how it avoids the conventional movie genre. It is neither farce, melodrama, romance; nor simple tragedy and satire. Instead, all of the above are subtly melted into a furnace and distributed at the same time. Certain segments of the film are truly amusing, such as the famous party sequence, which quickly degenerates into a farce before the tension reaches its dramatic climax.
To a large extent, the film resembles a satire full of sarcasm about the bourgeoisie, especially the upper bourgeoisie, and Jean Renoir's strong disdain is everywhere in the film. The line at the end of the film, "He is well-informed", is full of the director's attitude. When the room full of guests sang the host's singing, Jean Renoir clearly felt the dissonant notes behind it all. Jean Renoir is no longer obsessed with the working class. The "loyal" servants in the film, their greatest pleasure is to step on and wash their master's boots. Compared to their numb, privately messed-up masters, the affair ripped apart the mask of their flattering meekness and slept to the death in a very comical way.
Compared with the disturbing content of the film's expression, the film's photography style was once confusing. Contrary to the usual methods of the film at the time, Jean Renoir's photography skills make the film convey an image style similar to Italian neorealism. For example, he prefers long lenses with wide angles. Thus, the film conveys a naturalistic quality that makes the whole film feel more like a documentary than a drama
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