The River - A 1951 Film Directed by Jean Renoir

The River - A 1951 Film Directed by Jean Renoir - run time 1 hour and 39 minutes


Available on YouTube


Jean Renoir -made more than forty films. His Rules of the Game and The Grand Illusion are considered two of the world's greatest movies. He was the son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir.


Born: September 15, 1894, Montmartre, Paris, France
Died: February 12, 1979, Beverly Hills, California, United


Shot entirely in India, It is based on the 1946 novel of the same name by Rumer Godden. The film tells the story of three teenage girls, Harriet, Valerie, and Melanie, who are growing up in a jute mill town in Bengal. The river Ghats is a central theme in the film, and it serves as a backdrop for the girls' coming-of-age experiences.


Harriet is the central character of the film. She is a sensitive and intelligent girl who is struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality and her place in the world. She is also deeply attached to the river, which she sees as a source of comfort and inspiration.
The arrival of a handsome American stranger, Captain John, he lost a leg in World War Two, disrupts the girls' lives. Harriet and Valerie are both attracted to him, but he is more interested in Melanie. This sets off a chain of events that leads to tragedy.


The River is a beautifully made film that captures the essence of India and its people. Renoir's direction is understated and poetic, and he uses the natural beauty of the country to great effect. The performances are all excellent, particularly from Patricia Walters as Harriet.


The film is also notable for its sensitive portrayal of adolescent sexuality. Renoir avoids the clichés of the coming-of-age film, and he creates a complex and nuanced portrait of Harriet's journey into womanhood.


I found the colors of the film, of the river, magnificent. Many of the actors were amateurs hired in Calcutta. The actor playing Captain John in fact had only one leg. The narration of the film is wonderful.


Very recently I posted upon another highly regarded film set in India, The Black Narcissus Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Unlike The River, it was done in a Hollywood Studio Lot. Both films deal with sexual impulses created in young women by the proximity of a handsome man. Both feature the interactions of Indians with the English.
I would think taking these two Masterpieces together would make a source for an excellent class room discussion.


Mel Ulm