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Boudou Saved from Drowning (1931)
Topic Started: May 27 2007, 07:31 AM (529 Views)
Laughing Gravy
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"One should only come to the aid of one's equals."

In Depression-era France, a bourgeois bookseller rescues Boudu, a homeless tramp who has tried to drown himself in the Seine. The bookseller, M. Lestingois, then makes the mistake of bringing Boudu home in an attempt to give the man a new life. What happens instead is that Boudu turns Lestingois’ life upside down.

First and foremost, this is a great film for two reasons: Jean Renoir’s direction, and Michel Simon’s portrayal of the tramp, Boudu. Taking them on in reverse order, we’ll begin with Boudu, who is – for lack of a better term – a nut. He seems to have no rule or order in life, and loves it that way. He doesn’t comprehend what it is that Lestingois wants him to do, or why. It’s like trying to domesticate a monkey, or Harpo Marx; Lestingois urges Boudu to visit a barber, and to shine his shoes before he goes out, while Boudu would rather stand on his hands in the corner or try and steal a kiss from the maid. It’s one of the most unforgettable and unknowable screen characters I’ve ever seen.

Renoir! I love that guy. He shot Boudu Saved from Drowning around Paris, makes full use of the city’s great landmarks, and films them beautifully. The opening and closing scenes, set in city parks, are heartbreakingly tranquil and lovely. One of the bonuses on the Criterion disc is an interactive map of Paris showing where the movie’s scenes take place. Not much has changed, and it’s especially interesting to note that Boudu is introduced west of the city, is transported to the heart of Paris (right across the street from the Louvre), and is then “flushed out” east of the city.

Poor M. Lestingois. He wants to improve Boudu’s state of mind, status, and lot in life, but instead is given a healthy exposure to what life is like when you disregard societal rules and live each moment as if it were your last. In one of the best scenes in the picture, at the beginning, a mother in the park gives her young daughter a five franc note to give Boudu “because we should always help the less fortunate.” Boudu is surprised and puzzled by the little girl’s actions, and asks her what the money is for. “To buy bread,” she tells him. Later, Boudu opens a door for a dapper, wealthy young man, who tries to give him a handout but has no cash on hand. Boudu fishes out the note and hands it to him, telling him to go and buy himself some bread.

I loved this movie, and have made a mental note to kiss the next pretty housemaid I see.

"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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The Batman
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Thanks for the review, LG, I am always looking to sample the foreign films that Criterion has to offer, and this one sounds like a winner.
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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JazzGuyy
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I suspect that you both already know that this film was "remade" as "Down and Out In Beverly Hills" with Bette Midler, Nick Nolte and Richard Dreyfuss.
TANSTAAFL!
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JazzGuyy
Jun 5 2007, 10:04 AM
I suspect that you both already know that this film was "remade" as "Down and Out In Beverly Hills" with Bette Midler, Nick Nolte and Richard Dreyfuss.

Uh...yeah...of course. :unsure:
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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Laughing Gravy
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I didn't like that movie very much.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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panzer the great & terrible
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That's probably because Sammy Glick is no substitute for Jean Renoir.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Laughing Gravy
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Mr. Panzer, I want you to know I'm usually much more comfortable writing about Bride of the Gorilla and that ilk than Renoir films. I only write about the latter because somebody who actually can write intelligently about such films -- oh, like YOU -- doesn't! You make me noivus.

That said... Getting that new Martin & Lewis set yesterday made me wonder what the result would've been if Boudu had been adapted by Paramount as a vehicle for them, with Dino as the suave guy who brings home a human monkey. Frank Tashlin directing. It could've been a comic version of High Society, almost.

"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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George Kaplan
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Great review. I love this movie too. Renoir's satire is never cruel; he shows affection for all of his silly characters--and NO ONE escapes a ribbing.

Boudou is pure id (imagine Walt Whitman on a three-day bender), but he has no real malice toward anyone. Lestingois is driven by a sincere and utterly self-serving sense of compassion. He thinks he can bring this wild animal into his house and groom and curry him until he personifies the bookseller's own generosity. And he thinks he can do this without any noticeable disruption in his own carefully ordered universe. Boudou consents to apply polish to his shoes, yes; then he wipes the excess fresh polish off with the aid of a white bedspread. At every turn, china shop meets bull. It's lovely.

I skipped the bonuses when I watched this disc, but now I'm interested in checking out the interactive map you describe.
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