In West Bengal, both Harriet, the daughter of a jute mill owner, and her best friend, Valerie, become captivated by dashing visitor Capt.
John, who ignores them for sultry Melanie. However, all find that their lives are shaken up after Harriet's brother is involved in a tragedy.
Cast: Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight, Arthur Shields, Suprova Mukerjee, Thomas E. Breen, Patricia Walters, Radha Burnier, Adrienne Corri,
Produced by: Kenneth McEldowney Narrated by: June Hillman Cinematography: Claude Renoir Edited by: George Gale Music by: M. A. Partha Sarathy
The film was shot in Calcutta, India, where Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who was then only a student of cinema, was able to meet Renoir for guidance.
Awards, responses and preservation
At the 12th Venice International Film Festival, The River won the International Award. The National Board of Review in the United States selected it as one of the five Top Foreign Films of 1951.
Roger Ebert added the film to his "Great Movies" list in 2006.
The Academy Film Archive, in conjunction with the British Film Institute, preserved the film in 2004.
Influence
At the 2007 New York Film Festival, director Wes Anderson, a great fan of Jean Renoir, discussed Martin Scorsese showing him a print of The River, which is one of Scorsese's favourite films. Anderson credited the film, in addition to the films of Satyajit Ray and Louis Malle's documentaries about India, with inspiring him to make a film in India, resulting in The Darjeeling Limited (2007). (Wikipedia)
Read about this film
Title: The River | Le Fleuve (1951)
Directed by: jean renoir
Date of birth: 15 September 1894, Paris, France
Date of death: 12 February 1979, California, USA
Writing credits:
Rumer Godden, jean renoir, Rumer Godden (novel)
Music by: M. A. Partha Sarathy
Country: France | India | USA
Language: English | Bengali
Color: Black and White
Runtime: 99 min.