The River (1951)

Director Jean Renoir’s entrancing first color feature—shot entirely on location in India—is a visual tour de force. Based on the novel by Rumer Godden, the film eloquently contrasts the growing pains of three young women with the immutability of the Bengal river around which their daily lives unfold. Enriched by Renoir’s subtle understanding and appreciation for India and its people, The River gracefully explores the fragile connections between transitory emotions and everlasting creation.

Genres: Drama, Romance

What to watch after The River

• The Green Ray (1986) — Two steps away in the credits
• The Human Beast (1938) — Jean Renoir directed both
• The Rules of the Game (1939) — Jean Renoir directed both
• The Razor's Edge (1946) — Same subject: american
• A River Runs Through It (1992)
• Le Plaisir (1952) — Same feel: emotional, intimate