Joan Bennett had starred in Scarlet Street, Fritz Lang’s Hollywood remake of La Chienne. That connection led to Renoir’s directing this noirish tale of a love triangle between an older man, a traumatized ex-soldier and a femme fatale. Renoir had wanted to make a film about a purely physical erotic connection, but studio interference invariably diluted this idea, and a disastrous preview screening led to extensive reshoots. Nevertheless, Jacques Rivette regarded the film as a masterpiece: “if there is such a thing as pure cinema, it is to be found in The Woman on the Beach.”
Part of film series
Screenings from this program
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The Complete Jean Renoir
The Diary of a Chambermaid
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1946
Screening on Film
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The Complete Jean Renoir
This Land is Mine
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1943
Screening on Film
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The Complete Jean Renoir
The Woman on the Beach
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1947
Screening on Film
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The Complete Jean Renoir
Catherine, or A Life Without Joy
Directed by Albert Dieudonné and Jean Renoir, 1924
Live Musical Accompaniment
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The Complete Jean Renoir
The Southerner
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1945
Screening on FilmRecently Restored
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The Complete Jean Renoir
The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1970
Screening on Film
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The Complete Jean Renoir
The Elusive Corporal
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1962
Screening on Film
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The Complete Jean Renoir
The Testament of Dr. Cordelier
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1961
Screening on Film
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The Complete Jean Renoir
Boudu Saved From Drowning
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1932
Screening on Film
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The Complete Jean Renoir
Elena and Her Men
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1956
Screening on Film
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The Complete Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir, the Boss, Part 2: Directing the Actor
Directed by Jacques Rivette, 1967