‘The River’ 1951
Just finished The River. Even when I watched La Bête humain I felt like I was watching Renoir’s film, not Zola’s story. With The River, I felt like I was only watching Godden’s story.
I think that’s the greatest compliment an auteur could receive if they were making a film that was more about someone else’s life than their own obsessions.
With The River (just as I felt with The Story of Adele H [1975]), I felt a non-intrusive director. Or I didn’t feel the intrusion of a director/auteur. Both films felt authentic and true to their origin, like The Mosquito Coast (1987)- Harrison Ford’s best film – Peter Weir’s best film.
