A Conversation About Moving Images Across the Ages
Monday, February 23, 2015
What Rules? What Game?
What is the meaning of the title of The Rules of the Game? What is the "game"? What are the "rules"? Who are the participants? How does one "win" the game? What are the penalties for breaking the rules?
The director Jean Renoir uses a metaphor to construct his critic on French society. The Rules of the Game means the social norms and expectancies of the French bourgeoisie, where the values are twisted and mostly one is valued for what it possesses or has accomplished rather than for who they are. If you focus on the Marquis de la Cheyniest, it is possible to see that he is successful and has both Christine and Genevieve, meaning that he is a winner of the social “game” and therefore must be followed as an example. Andres Jurieux, on the other hand, is someone who has not quite understood the rules yet, as he commits the gaffe in live radio by declaring himself to Christine. His innocence and pure feelings for the woman is something that is not valued in the current French society. Even the lower class characters of the movie, such as the maid Lisette and the poacher Marceu explicit that as they consistently break the vows of the marriage between Schumacher and Lisette – something that shows another critic by Renoir, that the high French bourgeoisie behavior models the behavior of its servants and is an example to lower classes – and in that way Jurieux breaks the rule of the game and ends up being eliminated through an accident – which was not so random because the Marquis wanted Andres gone – the penalty for breaking the game.
There are many deeper reasons for the title of the Rules of the Game in Jean Renior’s film. To begin I believe that the game is the game of love that everyone in the move has a role in. There are many rules that are described in the film although almost all of these rules are soon later broken by the participants. These rules include not cheating, being faithful, watch your own back, and most importantly don’t get caught. Everyone in the movie participates in the game in a different way. Some only break a couple of rules and don’t have a major role throughout the film while others place the game more often and take more risks while breaking more and more of the rules described earlier. There are a couple of ways that one could win the game. The most valuable way to win the game is to find a someone who you love and settle down with them without either of them attempting to break either of the rules. Other ways that one could win is to be on the other side of one of the many rules such as cheating, not being careful, and not having anyone know what is happening. The penalties for breaking the rules differ depending on which of the many rules you break. Some of the lighter rules have penalties such as if you cheat you break some friendship and lose some people but if you get caught by the wrong people the penalty could be as sever as losing your life such as what happened to octave in the end of the movie.
In Rules of the Game, the game is love and the rules are expressed throughout the movie. The backing that the ‘game’ in the movie is love is endless. It is one of the only major themes besides backstabbing. There is literally a love octagon all throughout the movie. Everybody is literally having sex or a romantic relationship with everybody else. There are some many affairs happening at the same time it is silly. Moving form that the rules of said game are what not to do when you are in any type of romantic relationship; for instance don’t cheat, don’t lie, don’t have multiple affairs going on at the same time, if you are done with someone then you are done with them, you can only really love one person at a time. Those are just a few of the many things that go wrong all throughout the film. There is so much back door love/ loss of love throughout the film it leads me to believe that the film is supposed to be an example of what not to do in any type of adult relationship. It is easy to see barley anything goes right for any of the characters who are looking for love throughout the film. I thought it was interesting to see how there were so many was so many different relationships got blown up throughout the movie, and that is why I think that is what the so called rules are. The rules are the ways not to conduct yourself in an adult relationship.
In the film Rules of the Game, love is a game that has rules. These rules are different for everyone and have different consequences or rewards. This French film straps you on a love roller coaster that’s takes you on all different levels of love. There are all types of relationships in the movie ranging from married to cheating scandals. Each relationship has different rules, to obtain succession in the relationship one must be able to follow the rules, or not get caught breaking them. Breaking the rules and getting caught can lead to a serious consequence, such as the loved one leaving you or even worse, attempted murder. Everyone has their own idea of what is breaking a rule actually means, in some cases it can just be being around another person versus actually loving someone else. In the film everyone is a “flirt” the more time people spend with each other the deeper feelings they gain, or at least think they have. The question that began to come up is the person actually loved whom they thought they loved. It was more a women’s conspiracy if they actually loved the man they where with or wanted something else. The game is so big and goes on for the whole film that it is never-ending. People seem to be jumping from one to another until there is no one left. The rules of the game are simple, find you’re lover and stick with them for as long as possible. Don’t break any rules while doing so or who knows what might happen.
Octave says, “Everyone has his reasons,” excusing most of the events as necessary. Out of all the characters, Octave wins the game because he stays safely in the outer ring of the others’ games, not getting involved enough to endanger himself. Andre is the opposite and loses the game because he lets love get the better of him, a fatal mistake that the other characters take special care to avoid. Andre risks a lot by breaking away from the society he is forced to be a part of, and loses the game because he lets feelings get the better of him and take him away from his traditional role. One of this film’s overall themes was the transformation of French society in the 1930s coming up to WWII, showing in particular the rules of social convention being broken. Marriage and romance is the game that they play with, and the goal is to find a happy standpoint within societal reason. Marriage is seen as more of a game than an institution. One wins the game by sticking to their traditional roles and not interfering too much with others, and also being able to keep important secrets. Breaking these rules results in an exclusion from society, and this directly leads to Andre’s death. The death of Andre is described as a ‘deplorable accident’; somewhat ironic since it basically was a case of mistaken identity. Christine causes many problems and is shown as a foreigner who doesn’t know the rules, explaining why her role is so complex. While she doesn’t blatantly break any rules herself, she allows those around her to do so.
Jean Renoir’s “The Rules of the Game” is a social commentary on the condition of French society in the era leading up to World War II. It is ultimately a critique of the upper class of France, who having vast resources and power, were responsible for leading France’s lower class. The title, “The Rules of the Game,” refers to how the elite member’s of French society live their lives. The ‘rules’ are how one should act with such societal standing. However, the characters in the film abuse these rules almost as if their lives are one, big ‘game.’ The characters are hypocritical and ignorant, often coming across as extremely self-centered. For instance, Robert, despite having just proclaimed his commitment to his wife Christine, goes and flirts with his longtime affair, Geneviève. Another example is Christine, who expresses her lifelong commitment to three men all in the course of a few days. In playing this game, the characters are extremely decentralized to the outside world, immersed purely in the workings and relationships of their own little clique. Even André, who has just flown across the Atlantic at a record speed, only did so to impress Christine. He does not care about his effect upon industrial innovation or progress. Whatever the rules are of how one should act as a prominent member in society, the characters in “The Rules of the Game” have certainly broken them. Following this interpretation of the title, the upper class would win the ‘game’ by being honorable and helpful members to all of society. However, in both the film and in real world this was not the case. Given this portal of the egotistical and isolated upper class, it’s not surprising the French were defeated so swiftly by the Germans in World War II.
In the Rules of the Game, it might sound corny but the “game” being played is some form of happiness. Here’s the kicker: no one wins. A somewhat pessimistic ending, Jean Renoir made sure that everyone in his game (that is, Lisette, Andre, Robert, Christine, Octave, and the poacher) had no ideal ending. As indicated by their actions, it seems that the characters don’t seem to follow any rules at all – they’re manipulative, ruthless, and dishonest with each other. Perhaps Renoir suggests that anyone who plays games with those rules ought to be punished, also indicated by the ending of the film. It is interesting to note that even the most fortunate of characters in the movie were upset with their lives. For instance, Robert seems to have a reoccurring problem with his women and can’t find a solution. Meanwhile, Octave finds himself helping his friend be with a woman whom they both love. Lisette finds herself in alone with her abusive husband, despite all the flirting she did with the poacher. The poacher himself is dismissed from Robert’s service and Andre meets an untimely death in pursuit of his lady love. These morbid endings suggest that Renoir did not want his audience to feel good leaving the theater. Rather, Renoir wanted his audience to leave knowing that if the rules of the game are not played, there is hell to pay.
The director Jean Renoir uses a metaphor to construct his critic on French society. The Rules of the Game means the social norms and expectancies of the French bourgeoisie, where the values are twisted and mostly one is valued for what it possesses or has accomplished rather than for who they are. If you focus on the Marquis de la Cheyniest, it is possible to see that he is successful and has both Christine and Genevieve, meaning that he is a winner of the social “game” and therefore must be followed as an example. Andres Jurieux, on the other hand, is someone who has not quite understood the rules yet, as he commits the gaffe in live radio by declaring himself to Christine. His innocence and pure feelings for the woman is something that is not valued in the current French society. Even the lower class characters of the movie, such as the maid Lisette and the poacher Marceu explicit that as they consistently break the vows of the marriage between Schumacher and Lisette – something that shows another critic by Renoir, that the high French bourgeoisie behavior models the behavior of its servants and is an example to lower classes – and in that way Jurieux breaks the rule of the game and ends up being eliminated through an accident – which was not so random because the Marquis wanted Andres gone – the penalty for breaking the game.
ReplyDeleteThere are many deeper reasons for the title of the Rules of the Game in Jean Renior’s film. To begin I believe that the game is the game of love that everyone in the move has a role in. There are many rules that are described in the film although almost all of these rules are soon later broken by the participants. These rules include not cheating, being faithful, watch your own back, and most importantly don’t get caught. Everyone in the movie participates in the game in a different way. Some only break a couple of rules and don’t have a major role throughout the film while others place the game more often and take more risks while breaking more and more of the rules described earlier. There are a couple of ways that one could win the game. The most valuable way to win the game is to find a someone who you love and settle down with them without either of them attempting to break either of the rules. Other ways that one could win is to be on the other side of one of the many rules such as cheating, not being careful, and not having anyone know what is happening. The penalties for breaking the rules differ depending on which of the many rules you break. Some of the lighter rules have penalties such as if you cheat you break some friendship and lose some people but if you get caught by the wrong people the penalty could be as sever as losing your life such as what happened to octave in the end of the movie.
ReplyDeleteIn Rules of the Game, the game is love and the rules are expressed throughout the movie. The backing that the ‘game’ in the movie is love is endless. It is one of the only major themes besides backstabbing. There is literally a love octagon all throughout the movie. Everybody is literally having sex or a romantic relationship with everybody else. There are some many affairs happening at the same time it is silly. Moving form that the rules of said game are what not to do when you are in any type of romantic relationship; for instance don’t cheat, don’t lie, don’t have multiple affairs going on at the same time, if you are done with someone then you are done with them, you can only really love one person at a time. Those are just a few of the many things that go wrong all throughout the film. There is so much back door love/ loss of love throughout the film it leads me to believe that the film is supposed to be an example of what not to do in any type of adult relationship. It is easy to see barley anything goes right for any of the characters who are looking for love throughout the film. I thought it was interesting to see how there were so many was so many different relationships got blown up throughout the movie, and that is why I think that is what the so called rules are. The rules are the ways not to conduct yourself in an adult relationship.
ReplyDeleteIn the film Rules of the Game, love is a game that has rules. These rules are different for everyone and have different consequences or rewards. This French film straps you on a love roller coaster that’s takes you on all different levels of love. There are all types of relationships in the movie ranging from married to cheating scandals. Each relationship has different rules, to obtain succession in the relationship one must be able to follow the rules, or not get caught breaking them. Breaking the rules and getting caught can lead to a serious consequence, such as the loved one leaving you or even worse, attempted murder. Everyone has their own idea of what is breaking a rule actually means, in some cases it can just be being around another person versus actually loving someone else. In the film everyone is a “flirt” the more time people spend with each other the deeper feelings they gain, or at least think they have. The question that began to come up is the person actually loved whom they thought they loved. It was more a women’s conspiracy if they actually loved the man they where with or wanted something else. The game is so big and goes on for the whole film that it is never-ending. People seem to be jumping from one to another until there is no one left. The rules of the game are simple, find you’re lover and stick with them for as long as possible. Don’t break any rules while doing so or who knows what might happen.
ReplyDeleteOctave says, “Everyone has his reasons,” excusing most of the events as necessary. Out of all the characters, Octave wins the game because he stays safely in the outer ring of the others’ games, not getting involved enough to endanger himself. Andre is the opposite and loses the game because he lets love get the better of him, a fatal mistake that the other characters take special care to avoid. Andre risks a lot by breaking away from the society he is forced to be a part of, and loses the game because he lets feelings get the better of him and take him away from his traditional role. One of this film’s overall themes was the transformation of French society in the 1930s coming up to WWII, showing in particular the rules of social convention being broken. Marriage and romance is the game that they play with, and the goal is to find a happy standpoint within societal reason. Marriage is seen as more of a game than an institution. One wins the game by sticking to their traditional roles and not interfering too much with others, and also being able to keep important secrets. Breaking these rules results in an exclusion from society, and this directly leads to Andre’s death. The death of Andre is described as a ‘deplorable accident’; somewhat ironic since it basically was a case of mistaken identity. Christine causes many problems and is shown as a foreigner who doesn’t know the rules, explaining why her role is so complex. While she doesn’t blatantly break any rules herself, she allows those around her to do so.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJean Renoir’s “The Rules of the Game” is a social commentary on the condition of French society in the era leading up to World War II. It is ultimately a critique of the upper class of France, who having vast resources and power, were responsible for leading France’s lower class. The title, “The Rules of the Game,” refers to how the elite member’s of French society live their lives. The ‘rules’ are how one should act with such societal standing. However, the characters in the film abuse these rules almost as if their lives are one, big ‘game.’ The characters are hypocritical and ignorant, often coming across as extremely self-centered. For instance, Robert, despite having just proclaimed his commitment to his wife Christine, goes and flirts with his longtime affair, Geneviève. Another example is Christine, who expresses her lifelong commitment to three men all in the course of a few days. In playing this game, the characters are extremely decentralized to the outside world, immersed purely in the workings and relationships of their own little clique. Even André, who has just flown across the Atlantic at a record speed, only did so to impress Christine. He does not care about his effect upon industrial innovation or progress. Whatever the rules are of how one should act as a prominent member in society, the characters in “The Rules of the Game” have certainly broken them. Following this interpretation of the title, the upper class would win the ‘game’ by being honorable and helpful members to all of society. However, in both the film and in real world this was not the case. Given this portal of the egotistical and isolated upper class, it’s not surprising the French were defeated so swiftly by the Germans in World War II.
ReplyDeleteIn the Rules of the Game, it might sound corny but the “game” being played is some form of happiness. Here’s the kicker: no one wins. A somewhat pessimistic ending, Jean Renoir made sure that everyone in his game (that is, Lisette, Andre, Robert, Christine, Octave, and the poacher) had no ideal ending. As indicated by their actions, it seems that the characters don’t seem to follow any rules at all – they’re manipulative, ruthless, and dishonest with each other. Perhaps Renoir suggests that anyone who plays games with those rules ought to be punished, also indicated by the ending of the film. It is interesting to note that even the most fortunate of characters in the movie were upset with their lives. For instance, Robert seems to have a reoccurring problem with his women and can’t find a solution. Meanwhile, Octave finds himself helping his friend be with a woman whom they both love. Lisette finds herself in alone with her abusive husband, despite all the flirting she did with the poacher. The poacher himself is dismissed from Robert’s service and Andre meets an untimely death in pursuit of his lady love. These morbid endings suggest that Renoir did not want his audience to feel good leaving the theater. Rather, Renoir wanted his audience to leave knowing that if the rules of the game are not played, there is hell to pay.
ReplyDelete