The Rules of the Game (1939)


The Rules of the Game
Release Date07 July 1939
GenreDrama, Comedy
CountryFrance
Filming LocationsAubigny-sur-Nère, Cher, France
LanguageFrench
Sound MixMono
ColorBlack and White
  • The Rules of the Game
  • The Rules of the Game
  • The Rules of the Game
  • The Rules of the Game
  • The Rules of the Game

The Rules of the Game (original French title: La Règle du jeu) is a 1939 French film directed by Jean Renoir about upper-class French society just before the start of World War II. As a point of departure he began with Alfred de Musset's Les Caprices de Marianne, a popular 19th-century comedy of manners: "My first intention was to film a transposition of Caprices de Marianne to our time. It is the story of a tragic mistake: the lover of Marianne is taken for someone else and is bumped off in an ambush". He was also inspired by Jeu de l'amour et du hasard of Marivaux, by Molière, and took some details from Beaumarchais: the quote at the beginning of the film comes from Mariage de Figaro


Cast and Crew


Cast

Nora Gregor
Christine de la Cheyniest

Paulette Dubost
Lisette, sa camériste

Mila Parély
Geneviève de Marras

Odette Talazac
Madame de la Plante

Claire Gérard
Madame de la Bruyère

Anne Mayen
Jackie, nièce de Christine

Lise Elina
Radio-Reporter

Marcel Dalio
Robert de la Cheyniest

Julien Carette
Marceau, le braconnier

Roland Toutain
André Jurieux

Gaston Modot
Edouard Schumacher, le garde-chasse

Jean Renoir
Octave

Pierre Magnier
Le général

Eddy Debray
Corneille, le majordome

Pierre Nay
Monsieur de St. Aubin

Richard Francoeur
Monsieur La Bruyère

Léon Larive
Le cuisinier

Nicolas Amato
L'invité sud-américain

Henri Cartier-Bresson
Le domestique anglais

Celestin
Le garçon de cuisine

Tony Corteggiani
Berthelin

Roger Forster
L'invité efféminé

Camille François
Le speaker

Jenny Hélia
La servante

André Zwoboda
L'ingénieur

Director

Jean Renoir
-

Writer

Jean Renoir

Carl Koch

Cinematographer

Jean-Paul Alphen

Jean Bachelet

Jacques Lemare
-

Alain Renoir
-

Editor

Marthe Huguet

Marguerite Renoir

Production Designer

Max Douy

Eugène Lourié

Costume Designer

Coco Chanel

Makeup Department

Ralph
makeup artist

Production Manager

Camille François
production supervisor

Raymond Pillon
unit manager

Claude Renoir
production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Henri Cartier-Bresson
assistant director

André Zwoboda
assistant director

Sound Department

Joseph De Bretagne
sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department

Sam Levin
still photographer

Jacques Lemare
camera operator

Music Department

Roger Desormière
music adaptor: Mozart and Monsigny

Other Crew

Jean Bachelet
chief operator

Dido Freire
script girl

Production Company

Nouvelle edition française
-

Distributor

Cine Classics Inc.

Kino International Corp.

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Criterion Collection, The
,

Janus Films

Versátil Home Vídeo

Better Television Distribution

Image Entertainment

La Distribution Parisienne de Films

Contemporary Films

Flashstar Home Vídeo

Homescreen

Large Door Video

Umbrella Entertainment

Miscellaneous

Chanel
dress

G.M. Film
prints

Paris Studios Cinéma
sound post-production

Pathé Cinéma
sound post-production

Western Electric
sound equipment