Thomas A. Ravier on Jean Renoir's Radical Cinema and the Body

In an essay for artpress, novelist Thomas A. Ravier offers a provocative reading of Jean Renoir's film 'La Règle du jeu' (1939), arguing that it constitutes a radical critique of society and cinema itself. Ravier contends that the film's true subject is not merely the French upper class but the principle of social grouping, which is inherently criminal. He highlights the film's obsession with vision and deception, exemplified by the scene where Christine uses binoculars to spy on her husband, only to misinterpret what she sees. Ravier links this to a broader thanatophilia—a fascination with death—that pervades both the film and the cinematic medium. He praises Renoir's use of music and sound as a counterforce to the mechanical, death-driven gaze, calling the film a 'cinéma verbal' that prioritizes audition over vision. The essay appears alongside the exhibition 'Renoir / Renoir' at the new Cinémathèque Française in Bercy (September 28, 2005 – January 6, 2006), which honors both Pierre-Auguste Renoir and his son Jean. Ravier also references his own recent essay 'Mauvais goût de Vichy' and his novel 'Les Aubes sont navrantes' (Gallimard).