An assorted cast of characters - the rich and their poor servants - meet up at a French chateau for various reasons and the result is murder. Starring Nora Gregor, Marcel Dalio, Roland Toutain, and Jean Renoir -- 1st Renoir film --
This film provided an interesting if not confusing viewing expierience because at times the comedic and dramatic aspects of the story seemed indistinguishable from one another. Certain scenes and situations seemed to either be badly misconstrued comedic scenes or ineffective dramatic ones. While the premise of the film is also somewhat indecipherable, the cast of characters provides for an interesting backdrop, and their various antics and interactions do create a somewhat interesting atmosphere.
While some of the acting seemed a bit stiff and out-dated, the character of Octave was clearly the most interesting and well-acted role among the bunch. Only after the film was completed did I discover Octave was played by none other than Renoir himself. As far as Renoir's direction, there seemed to be no glaring flaws in his shot framing and lighting, but the film was severly hampered by the lack of music.
Ultimately, the film wasn't very interesting or exciting, but also not deep enough to posses true dramatic effect. Whether it was seeking to be a nice little French romantic comedy or a sophisticated satire on aristocratic culture, I felt as though it failed.
