dir. Jean Renoir
writ. Jean Renoir (screenplay), Jacques Levert (story)
feat. Charles Blavette, Celia Montalván, Édouard Delmont, Max Dalban, Jenny Helia
Sparks of Renoir's humane approach to love, life, and filmmaking glimmer through Toni, while never reaching the full rise of his greater works. Toni arrives in Provence searching for work and falls in immediately with Marie, his landlady and lover after a small nod of consent. The story jumps takes occasional leaps forward in time, as much to account for lapses in reason as to advance the plot. Before long, Toni, truly in love with Josefa, marries Marie in a double wedding where Josefa becomes the bride of the brutish Albert.
The story is riddled with holes posing as the idiosyncrasies of life. Josefa is an incorrigible flirt unworthy of Toni's attention. Albert is a callous brute with no redeeming or desirable qualities. Toni marries Marie despite his obvious disinterest in her.
Yet in the end, as (supposed) true love strains to make things right after an accidental murder, the film manages to achieve a gentle air of romantic tragedy. Nevertheless, it is the small moments, the playful chase of a bee in a woman's dress or the way in which a friend demonstrate compassion and sympathy even when his pal makes stupid choices that gives the picture its heart.
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