Boudu Saved From Drowning - Blu-ray

Any film by the revered French film director Jean Renoir is well worth a look at, and this one is no exception. Although filmed way back in 1932 it is a charming social comedy that belies its years. It is also a superb elegiac photographic record of an earlier more innocent France. Unkempt, smelly, bearded, sartorially challenged tramp Boudu throws himself into the river Seine to end his miserable existence, where he is saved by affluent bookseller Lestingois who invites him into his home. Bad move! For this act of kindness his ordered world is quickly turned upside down. Boudu lacks any shred of conventional social niceties and prefers to pursue Lestingois's wife and housemaid with the sort of gusto that shows he will not be throwing himself back into the Seine any time soon. The old adage about no good deed going unpunished begins to hold credence. Even Lestigois's greatest pleasure, his nocturnal visits to his housemaids bedroom are put on hold. When asked by the maid if he regretted his decision to allow Boudu in he replies "During the day I am unsure, but at night no". When Boudu spits onto the pages of Balzac's "The Physiology of Marriage", enough is enough.

Michel Simon plays Boudu in a unique idiosyncratic style. His antics are surprising for the time, taking uncouth to the limits. Apparently 1932 audiences were shocked by his antics which does not surprise me. Gerard Depardieu revived the role in more recent years. The Hollywood film "Down and Out in Beverley Hills"(1986) was also based on the film. Collisions across the classes have always held good dramatic and comedic material. "Lady Chatterly's Lover" being a more obvious example. Considering what clumsy equipment filmmakers of the period worked with, it is surprising how much is shot outside, which gives the film its great feel for a lost France. There are some lovely shots on the water where blu-ray often comes into its own. This is an excellent restoration up there with Renoir's other classics "La Grande Illusion" and "French Cancan". I rather like the films ending which is typical of Boudu's free spirit. The film is short but sweet, leaving you with that nice feelgood factor. It is certainly well worth watching if you have never seen it before.

If you own the DVD of this classic Renoir film or even if you were considering buying one- I say HOLD IT!. Get this Blu-Ray instead. The restoration is simply stunning! for such an old and venerable film. I think this is where the Blu Ray really comes to the fore- when you see these restored B & W classics. The grain and clarity here are beyond anything I could have hoped for! Given that Renoir shot so much of it outside in natural light adds to the enjoyment of the film like never before! Renoir's style has always remained fresh no matter how many years have gone by.
A few of the shots in the film are in soft focus, but as a note tells you before the film starts, this is down to Renoir's choice of lens for these shots rather than a fault in the film itself. Additionally there is a 12 sec bit of film that has been put back in for this restoration, and those seconds are just as pristine as the rest of the film although deliberately left without subtitles, as the Blu ray box informs us.
Wow! Now if only someone would do a similar job on 'The Crime on Monsieur Lange' and 'Une partie de campagne',I'd be a happy man! (There are already Blu ray restorations on 'La Grande Illusion' & 'La Règle du jeu': although I have not seen the latter, the La grande Illusion restoration is also terrific.)