Renoir's humanism treats this poor white Southern family with restraint and dignity.

A strong, naturalistic portrait of a group of people not often given their due in the golden age of Hollywood, The Southerner follows a poor farming family through a year of trials, perseverance, and undying hope. Renoir presents the main characters without irony and with a focus on the land which both sustains them as well as frustrates their efforts. The story itself is simple and episodic, but Renoir is seeking to capture a time, place, and people, which he does quite well.

A very simple, quaint tale of a family trying to overcome adversity. There are some scenes that are so heartwarming it's just pure joy to watch. Unfortunately, the whole thing is extremely dated. The script and acting are both pretty lame (I wanted to strangle those kids), and Renoir's camerawork is uncharacteristically restrained. There are a few scenes where the film attempts humor, and it falls flat on its face. I don't entirely regret watching it, but I won't again.