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Review
Having failed to make much of a mark in cinema’s silent era, Jean Renoir made the transition
to sound films which much greater success than many of his contemporaries. La
Chienne, whilst not an exceptional film in its own right, is significant in that it
marks the turning point in Renoir’s career. The experience and public awareness
that Renoir gained through this film would enable him to achieve far greater success with
his subsequent sound films.
Based on a novel by novel by Fouchardiere, La Chienne is very typical of its era, a conventional melodrama with the familiar set of characters: a weak, luckless husband, an intolerant wife, a deceptive femme fatale and a manipulative villain. Whilst the set-up is familiar, even hackneyed, Renoir’s treatment – particularly the voyeuristic camerawork – makes it appear fresh and interesting. There are elements of what we now know to be ‘poetic realism’, a style which expresses romantic idealism in the context of a tragically oppressive setting – something which became very noticeable in French cinema between 1936 and 1939. The film also presages some of Renoir’s later masterpieces and it is quite interesting to speculate how many of his subsequent great films had their origins in La Chienne . The star of La Chienne is the young actress Janie Marèze, who plays the part of the prostitute Lulu. Renoir had originally envisaged his wife Catherine Hessling for the part, but their somewhat acrimonious separation forced the director to look elsewhere for his female lead. Tragically, Marèze was killed in a road accident very soon after the film was shot, making this her only major film role. In 1945, Fritz Lang remade this film as Scarlet Street, with Edward G. Robinson taking the part originally played by Michel Simon. © James Travers 2002 Write a review for this film...User Comments
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Director:
Jean Renoir
Starring: Michel Simon, Janie Marèze, Georges Flamant, Gaillard, Romain Bouquet Synopsis
Maurice Legrand is a middle-aged bank cashier who is unhappily married to a shrewish wife.
His only pleasure in life is his hobby, oil painting. One evening, he meets a young
prostitute, Lulu, who has just been beaten by her drunken pimp, Dédé.
Maurice escorts Lulu home and, as they part, he realises he is in love with her.
He offers Lulu a new apartment, where he can meet her and store his paintings. Despite
Maurice’s kindness, Lulu does not love her benefactor. She is still attached to
her beloved Dédé, even though he continues to treat her badly.
Dédé intends to exploit Maurice’s generosity and begins by selling his paintings.
Convinced that his future is with Lulu, the naïve Maurice risks everything for his
love. But then he discovers Lulu’s cynical infidelity...
Credits
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