I was wondering what people had to say about this topic. Do people find that Renoir is trying to make the viewer sympathetic toward the characters ("everyone has their reasons") or critical of the characters (in the hunting scene, for example)? I think he's being critical but i want to know if people agree or disagree. thanks
share[deleted]
I don't see any completely sympathetic characters. Everyone lives in some sort of dellusion; lying to either themselves or others, not sure whether they act out of vanity or sincerity.
Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks? Shaft!
Funny, living in delusion, lying to themselves, this is how everyone acts, which is Renoir's point, and it's well taken. So if you're only offering sympathy to the morally straight and honest, you then, in all truth, have sympathy for no one.
shareI think it's pretty clear that Renoir was being incredibly critical of his characters. I mean for christ's sake, this movie was banned for years because of its critical portrayal of the French upper-class. Renoir has always been very vocal about his hatred for the characters in this film, and I think it shows through quite nicely in the film itself.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law!