Boudu salvato dalle acque

..sorry from the river.but it's important to bear in mind that Boudu is a metamorphosis of Legrand,the hero of Renoir's precedent work "la chienne" ,who became a tramp at the end of that movie.And like Nana in Renoir's eponymous silent movie adapted from Zola,he rose from the waters ("sauvé des eaux" is the exact meaning of the name "Mosis")to shake the well meaning bourgeoisie.A bourgeoisie where a piano is in the house because you must have one even if you do not play the piano. Almost thirty years before Luis Bunuel ("Viridiana" 1961) ,Renoir denounces the bourgeois charity ,which is a great weight off our guilty minds.Boudu is revolutionary,like Moliere's "Tartuffe" ,he squeezes Lestingois dry,but he knows from the start he will not be part of them .He refuses conventions,marriage is the worst of them all.These final sequences ,where Renoir made the best use of "blue Danube" I know (with Kubrik's "2001",but in a diametrically opposite way),are the key of the movie.Boudu looks like,at the end of the movie, like some distant cousin of Charlie Chaplin ,but a Chaplin who would have discovered cynicism.

Needless to say,"Boudu" would not be "Boudu" without Michel Simon's extraordinary presence.Such an actor does not exist anymore in French contemporary cinema.And his filmography is full of treasures.To think that he also worked with Duvivier,Carné,Clair,Decoin and so many more..

Remakes "down and out in Beverly Hills" with Nick Nolte and Bette Middler. "Boudu" ,by Gérard Jugnot,this very year. Are they necessary?

Some lightweight, Chaplainesque stuff from Jean Renoir. This is the story of a tramp who tries to kill himself and is rescued by a lazy, unmotivated bookseller. Apparently, the rescuer now feels an obligation to provide a home for this hopeless man. Instead of showing gratitude, Boudu takes advantage of everyone, projecting his coarse being in every direction. He seduces the man's wife, spits on the floor, floods the house; you name it. He also gets a dose of civilization and finds it a two edged sword. Michel Simon is awesome in the role, bumbling through life. It's hard to imagine him having enough angst to commit suicide (maybe he was just taking a bath or going for a swim anyway). This popped up as a treat on Turner Classic Movies and I was immediately hooked. I've seen most of the "big" films of Renoir. This little piece is a classic as well. See it if you can.

It's a movie with some more subtle humor but nevertheless it's not really a movie that could ever make me laugh, which was mostly because due to Michel Simon his very over the top portrayal of the tramp Boudu. You know, the kind of performance in which he plays his character constantly in a drunk way in an attempt to make him look funny. Also his look is far from convincing, with his fake looking beard and big wig. Hello afro! It just isn't the best or most likable character imaginable. When it comes down to French comedy from the early days of cinema ('20' and '30's) this really isn't the best the genre has to offer. For instance you're way better off watching a René Clair movie.

The movie can be seen as a social commentary to the French bourgeoisie and difference between classes. It's this element mostly that makes the movie an interesting watch. No denying that Jean Renoir was a great director who knew how to set up a story and scenes. He also always gets his point across, without having to force too much. Like always, he also in this movie uses some interesting sequences that have deeper meanings to it and the movie is filled with some metaphors.

As you could expect from a Jean Renoir movie, it's also technically a good one. The movie features some interesting camera-shots, which must have also been really original and revolutionary for its time. The editing isn't always too great however.

Not Renoir's best but it's an enjoyable enough little movie.

7/10

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There is plenty more of Jean Renoir's films to see, but what has been seen of his work has been good to brilliant (my first film of his being the quite fascinating 'Madame Bovary'), only not caring for 'Woman on the Beach'. He was my main reason for seeing 'Boudu Saved from Drowning'. The very neat idea was another selling point as well as my general love for French, and foreign in general, cinema, and the high recommendation given by trusted friends.

'Boudu Saved from Drowning' is not one of Renoir's best out of the films seen so far, and it is not hard to see why some would not care for it if they prefer their lead characters to be likeable. In 'Boudu Saved from Drowning's' case the lead character is pretty much the complete opposite of that. The exceptionally high quality of the production values and the direction cannot really be denied though, regardless of what one's thoughts on everything else is.

Will start with the numerous good, great even, things. 'Boudu Saved from Drowning' is an exceptionally well made film on the visual front. The cinematography is just exquisite and at its best visual poetry, some of the best of its year. There is nothing claustrophobic or over-intimate about it so visually it doesn't look too stagy, the settings are handsome and evocative and the lighting quite atmospheric. The music has great use of the flute and chorus, is beautifully orchestrated and fits the story's tone very well. Renoir's direction is exemplary, always keeping what's going on engaging and not disjointed while showing a visual mastery.

Really liked how 'Boudu Saved from Drowning' was scripted, the humour is essentially satirical and it is scathing but also clever and not too heavy, with the right amount of light-heartedness. The story isn't dull and unlike 'Woman on the Beach' doesn't feel choppy or incomplete, understanding what's going on wasn't an issue for me. The titular character is as unlikeable as they come and is a very juicy role, but the film just about avoids being mean-spirited thanks to some amusing comic timing and energy. Michel Simon is larger than life great and the rest of the cast do well.

Despite their character writing being very thinly sketched and dominated by Boudu, so 'Boudu Saved from Drowning' is thin when it comes to characterisation.

Although it's not a dull film and is cohesive, the film could have been a little longer to allow the drama later on to flow a little more naturally.

In summary, very good. 8/10

Boudu (Michel Simon), a tramp, jumps into the Seine. He is rescued by Mr. Lestingois, a gentle and good bookseller, who gives shelter to him. Mrs. Lestingois and the maid Anne-Marie (Mr. Lestingois' mistress) are far from delighted, for Boudu is lazy, dirty and salacious...

Pauline Kael called it, "not only a lovely fable about a bourgeois attempt to reform an early hippy...but a photographic record of an earlier France." The film was remade in 1986 for an American audience as "Down and Out in Beverly Hills", directed by Paul Mazursky.

Now, I don't know that Boudu is a hippie. That might be an insult to him, and it is certainly an insult to hippies. But there's plenty of comic potential in wealthy people trying to reform the slobs of the world. This theme is addressed in other films, such as "Trading Places", and the comedy writes itself.