| Ingrid Bergman stars in Elena and Her Men. [click photo for larger version] |
For other perspectives on Renoir, directors Peter Bogdanovich and Martin Scorcese give thoughtful and informative introductions. In an interview, set designer Max Douy offers some of the most revealing insights about his former co-worker. Part two of a 1993 BBC documentary of Renoir by David Thompson has a satisfying mix of clips, interviews, and films of Renoir late in his life, which fills out the portrait of the director.
In a trio of films filled with outrageously artificial performances and situations, Renoir turns the world into a theater that reveals core truths about human nature, though it nearly conceals its seriousness with costumes, songs, comedy, and dance. They are not the most celebrated of Renoir's films, but they are among his strongest work and worthy of high acclaim.