I like Renoir and this is definitely a worthy effort, but it's lacking in a few places. The characters feel real but there's a lack of depth to them that makes it hard to get into the film and the story starts off slow, gets really good, and then end with an unnecessarily heavy-handed ending. Visually, though, Renoir's direction here is pretty polished and the short running time makes it a very watchable and enjoyable affair.

Renoir does proto-neo-realism with a distinctly French pathos. The story is one of a fairly standard love triangle with few surprises, but the lingering shots of the countryside are quite the appetizer.

The first half is a beautiful sun-soaked impression of a characterful French region with a poetic realist flavour. The second half seems deliberate in reversing this, with marked lighting shifts and clouds rolling in, and the focus shifts from milieu to melodrama. From this vantage point the former qualities seem much more valuable as a slice of the old life, whearas the moral stuff is just sort of quaint.

held up by the singing italian woodcutters afaic

Duly noted as a precursor to neorealism, it's easy to admire this provincial doomed romance and its sympathy for the toil of migrant labor. I do find these characters less compelling than those in some other Renoir films though.

Admittedly this got better as the film progressed

Proto Italian neorealism. Well made with strong period detail and a feel for people and place that feels authentic. Perhaps it's too short for its own good; there simply isn't enough time to get familiar with the complex entanglements these poor folk get caught up in. On the plus side, the performances by a non-professional cast are appealingly naturalistic, and it's a definite curiosity for the influence it surely had on future films of this type.

86.50

Viewed August 16, 2017. I'll defer to a song off of U2's finest album: Love is blindness. It's impossible to keep reality in check when love becomes a factor, especially unrequited love. Probably not one of my favorite Renoirs but punchy and meaningful in all the right ways. Its visible influence on the neorealist movement also makes it a fascinating watch.

very nice humanistic simple movie from Renoir. Although the plot it self is cliche-ridden, Renoir's directing keeps it from becoming melodramatic. The realism that comes from the use of real location and using non-actors alongside actors also help in making this more than your standard drama. I also especially liked the guitar songs interludes.

Star Rating: ★★★

I was underwhelmed with Renoir's earlier works Boudu and La Chienne, so this ended up surprising me. The story itself isn't radically different from other films I've seen, but it was told in such a lyrically beautiful way that made it stand out. The composition of the shots and the camera movement is outstanding as is the acting, considering most of the actors were amateurs. It's the earliest example I've seen of a "naturalist" film that was also compelling, emotional, and poetic.

Good atmosphere and a lot of nice scenes, but it seems to veer away from poetic realism and increasingly closer to melodrama.

Toni wasn't really a film I fell in love with but instead felt a lot of respect for. The cinematic aspect is stunning. The angles, the scenery are excellently done. Imaginative too. Just look at the Bee sting scene and the striking suicide attempt. The feel of the movie is realistic and honest, which is the other strength it has. Where it's gets a bit cold, it's with the emotions of the the people in it. But that aspect is also what makes this Jean Renoir film fascinating.

Wonderfully executed tragic romance from Renoir. I find that Renoir doesn't usually attain that level of transcendence that I hope for, but most of his films are very watchable (a couple of duds like The River notwithstanding). Here we have fine performances, fine cinematography, and a fine story with an engaging web of relationships. Not much to say, just a solid movie all around.

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