My Life and My Films

by Jean Renoir

Here is the autobiography of the little boy with golden curls in the paintings of his father, Pierre Auguste Renoir—the boy who became the director many consider the greatest in history. François Truffaut called him “an infallible filmmaker . . . Renoir has succeeded in creating the most alive films in the history of cinema, films which still breathe forty years after they were made.” In this book, Jean Renoir(1894-1979)presents his world, from his father’s Montemarte studio to his own travels in Paris, Hollywood, and India. Here are tantalizing secrets about his greatest films—The Rules of the Game, The Grand Illusion, The River, A Day in the Country, La Bête Humaine, Toni. But most of all, Renoir shows us himself: a man if dazzling simplicity, immense creativity, and profound humanity.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, France, Art, Biography Memoir

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Jean Renoir was a film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author.

He was the second son of Aline Charigot and the French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Jean was also the brother of Pierre Renoir, a noted French stage and film actor; the uncle of Claude Renoir, a cinematographer; and the father of Alain Renoir, late professor emeritus of comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley.

As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s. As an author, he wrote the definitive biography of his father, Renoir, My Father (1962).

Reviews

[lenny pepperidge]

probably the first book I'd grab in a fire

[Matthew Wilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to see and feel, to truly appreciate Jean Renoir when you are young. In reading this truly sublime memoir, one realizes the images and experiences that were supremely important to this artist: a peasant woman baking bread; hunting in a forest; fucking on the grass. Everything about Renoir was what we now call “artisanal,” even when he moved into the delirious visual artifice of THE RIVER or THE GOLDEN COACH. In brief, Jean sought to be like his old man—plangent, simple and true. With all due respect to the memorable if sickly sweet images of Renoir pere, Jean achieved this task better than the father ever could. We need this work now, in this degraded and psychotic era, as we need clean water. I cannot wait to go back to the TONI period of Renoir and watch all these films. The memoir has a Proustian river-of-memory quality yet is spoken with a minimalist simplicity that evokes the films. Jean Renoir was, as we say, hands on. In every simple image one feels the hand-craftsmanship, the simple first-personness of a scribbly signature. This consummate man of the nineteenth century is just what is needed in the twenty-first.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renoir's account of his childhood, his politics, and his movie-making feeds a hungry nostalgia. I count this as an alone-on-a-deserted-island book--full of stories about real people and stories about stories: from his initiation to the theaters on the Boulevard of Crime, to his work with the "born actor" Jean Gabin, all the way to his unwilling abstinence from film-making in his final years in Hollywood. It's easy to side with Renoir's positions--that the external is a better starting point for art than the internal; that Chaplin's tramp offers perhaps the only tenable way to exist in our insane human world: meek acceptance. It's a dear book.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

تلفیقی از زندگی نامه و فیلم های ژان رنوار، به قلم خودش. اثری ست خواندنی و خالی از حشو و زوائد

[Hrafnkell Úlfur · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Við vitum að í sögu allra listanna hefur fullkomið raunsæi haft í för með sér algjöra hnignun. Hví er það að þegar tækni er frumstæð er allt fallegt, en þegar að tækni er fullkomnuð verður nánast allt ljótt? Tæknileg fullkomnun getur einungis skapað leiðindi, vegna þess að hún endurskapar einungis náttúruna. Afhverju í andskotanum myndi einhver vilja sjá kvikmynd ef þú gætir í staðinn séð alvöru hlutinn? Þannig að herma eftir náttúrunni getur einungis leitt dauða listforms."
- Jean Renoir

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up watching movies and learning about art and recently I watched a movie called Renoir. It is based on the last years of Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Impressionist Artist) and tells the story of the last model used by Renoir who also became the first actress in the films of his son Jean.
This autobiography My Life and My Films was first published in 1974. As a film actor and director Jean Renoir made more than 40 films from the silent era to the end of the 1960's. In 1975 he received a lifetime Academy Award for his contribution to the motion picture industry.

[Islam · Rating 4 out of 5]

من أمتع السير الذاتية السينمائية، كل كلمة مكتوبة بدقة، لا يوجد حشو، وروح مرحة في كل صفحة ورؤية رغم أنها سوداوية أو غير متفائلة للعالم إلا أنها تحتفي بكل بسيط وتحب الحياة بكل تجلياتها. منظور للسينما مدهش، للفن عموما، أجمل كلام مكتوب عن الأصدقاء، الكتاب أصلا سيرة للأصدقاء وليست لرينوار، مكتوب بمحبة. حتى لو سقطت المحبة

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read a new book, I tend to rush through it in order to jump on the next book that is on my shelf. However with My Life and My Films, I read the book with patience and appreciation because not only does Jean Renoir give a detailed account of his films, he also shares life lessons; hence the title on the cover.

On the very last page in the last paragraph in four words, Jean Renoir sums up his reasons to become an artist and at the same time gives his reasons for life. But in the sake of context, I have decided to omit these last four words and instead I've decided on a different quote that will, more or less give you an impression of who he was as a person.

In the matter of his profession, he writes:

"I have spent my life experimenting with different styles, but it all comes down to this: my different attempts to arrive at the inward truth, which for me is the only one that matters."

In terms of life, I found this paragraph especially to be very touching:

"The shape of [the] country is constantly changing. That is why, for our peace of mind, we must try to escape from the spell of memories. Our salvation lies in plunging resolutely into the hell of the new world, a world horizontally divided, a world without passion or nostalgia...We must never let ourselves be separated from the beloved, because after a long absence she will have become another person."

Jean Renoir writes with an open heart. The book is bold and his words reveal his inner self without cowardice - though he repeatedly claims to be one. By the end of the book, I came to the conclusion that Jean Renoir was an artist, but most importantly a human being.

[Navid Taghavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

عقیده داشتم که دنیا و به ویژه دنیای سینما در قیدوبند خدایانی دروغین است. وظیفه‌ی من سرنگون کردن آن‌ها بود و من شمشیر به کف حاضر بودم که جان بر سر این کار بگذارم. یکی از آن خدایان دروغین که هنوز هم بر اریکه قدرت است «سلیقه‌ی خوب» است که در واقع چیزی جز ذائقه «متوسط‌ دوستی» نیست. جامعه تحت لوای این سلیقه‌ی خوب با هرگونه نوآوری‌یی مخالفت می‌کند. من و دوستانم با عزمی راسخ طرف سلیقه بد را گرفته‌ایم. اظهارنظرهای دیگری نیز ما را خشمگین کرده است. از این قبیل که می‌گویند «اغراق‌آمیز است» که خیلی ساده، نشان‌دهنده برآشفتگی مردم از مواجه شدن با چیزی بیش از حد آنهاست...
اما ثابت‌ترین این خدایان دروغین، دشمن شماره‌ی يك مردم "کلیشه" است. منظورم از کلیشه تصویری است یا عقیده ای یا فکری که موذیانه جانشین حقیقت شده باشد. کلیشه‌هایی هم هستند که قرن‌ها دوام می‌آورند. مشتی از آنها از این قرارند:
«پیرمرد خوب»، «عشقی که بر همه چیز پیروز می‌شود»، «نوکر وفادار»، «شجاعت نظامی»، «شوخ‌طبعی انگلیسی»، «هدف وسیله را توجیه می‌کند» اما زندگی به ما می آموزد که پیرمردان بدی هم وجود دارند، که عشق اغلب مغلوب است، که نوکران همیشه وفادار نیستند، که بعضی از سربازان به‌شدت ترسو هستند، که انگلیسی‌هایی هستند که به‌کلی از شوخ‌طبعی بی‌بهره‌اند و هیچ هدفی وجود ندارد که بتواند جنایت را توجیه کند. باید اضافه کنم که بانوان موطلایی و خوش‌عطر و بویی که روی پرده نقش اول را بازی می‌کنند، به بانوانی که در زندگی واقعی ایفاگر نقش اولند کمترین شباهتی ندارند. زنان فیلم برای اینکه با کلیشه‌ها جور در بیایند کلاه گیس‌هایی با طره‌های طلایی به سر می‌گذارند.
دلم می‌خواهد باور داشته باشم که پیروی از کلیشه هیچکس را گول نمی‌زند؛ اما افسوس، مردم که پوست‌شان از دروغ پر شده به قراردادهای کلیشه متوسل می‌شوند و در تحریف‌شدگی دنیایی که برای انصراف خاطر آنان ساخته و پرداخته شده درمی‌غلتند.

[M.R. Dowsing · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Renoir whizzes through his life and films, devoting around 3 pages to most of the latter, although a few - such as 'La Grande Illusion' and 'The River' - are discussed in greater detail. A notable exception is 'Diary of a Chambermaid', which barely gets a mention - a shame, as I watched it recently and was curious as to how he came to make such an odd, ill-judged misfire.

'My Life and My Films' is a well-written and entertaining read to be sure, but it's also surprisingly anecdotal and seldom goes very deep. Ultimately, it did little to change my opinion of Renoir as a good director who is a little overrated, perhaps due to the fact that he was the son of the famous painter. For me, his best films are 'La Bete Humaine' and 'La Grande Illusion'. I've always been mystified by the inclusion of 'The Rules of the Game' on so many 'greatest films of all time' lists (not that it's a bad movie) and I don't find his Hollywood work terribly impressive for the most part. However, I would strongly recommend his excellent 1959 TV version of Jekyll and Hyde ('Le Testament du Docteur Cordelier' aka 'Experiment in Evil') if you can find it.

[Isto R. Eipäs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sekalainen pakkaus.
Ydinlukijakuntana olettaakseni aidot elokuvan ystävät ja Renoirin henkilöhistoriasta kiinnostuneet. Ihan hyvä elämänkerta.

Oli kliseen ruodintaa ("elämä korvautuu ajatuksella"), katsojien halua saada jotain tuttua ("hyvä maku"), auteurin tyylinmuutokset luonnollisesta tekniseen ja auteurista tiimiksi, rypyt ja ihanuudet elokuvanteossa, intialaista maailmankuvaa ulkomaalaisen silmin ("Intiassa tapaa ihmisiä, jotka rakastavat toisiaan ilman syytä"), pakottavaa luomisen draivia, ilman antamista näyttelijän itseilmaisulle pitkin otoksin, "Suuri illusioni" ja "Pelin säännöt", filmin leikkaamisesta ("koneellinen työ tylsistyttää, mutta käsityö aateloi") ja täydellisyyden ikävystyttävästä vaikutuksesta, eristäytymisen strategiasta, yksinäisyydestä ("yksinäisyys on sitäkin rikkaampi aihe, kun tajuaa, ettei sitä ole olemassa") sekä parturien vallasta elokuvanaailmassa.

Kappaleista tuli tällaisia satunnaisia ahaa-elämyksiä, mutta suurin kirjan anti oli minulle toiseksi viimeinen kokonaisuus, joka avaa ranskalaisen auteurin kokemuksia Hollywoodista. Ei asettunut heikäläinen, vaikka kokikin kaikenlaista.

[Julian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting bird's eye view of Renoir's life and films, as the title suggests. Renoir has a tendency to write exactly as though he speaks, which is to say that he rambles and goes on tangents quite a bit. Some of these are actually quite valuable, such as how being raised by the great painter Renoir impacted his childhood and how he left France for a brief séjour in Hollywood during the war, however then are a lot of details that only someone really crazy about Renoir would appreciate (I like the guy and his films a lot, but I wouldn't say he's a literal favorite of mine). In any case, this definitely delivered on its promise, I found it an enjoyable and quick read, and for that I can't complain. However, I can't say it really wowed me. Although, I think our current society is in great need of a kind of horizontal humanism that characterizes Renoir worldview on the whole, and for what it's worth, even just this makes his films worth taking a look at (see: La Grande Illusion, La Règle du Jeu, La Bête Humaine)

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My chief aim was the one which I have been pursuing ever since I started to make films--to express the common humanity of men."
Reading this memoir is akin to sitting down with a family member who can endlessly entertain with stories of his life. Each chapter is centers on a particular friendship and how it enhanced Renoir's personal as well as professional lives. "Most people associate stages of their lives with events..But my calendar is related to friends. Every period of my life has been dominated by the figure of a friend."
Some things I learned about him: he loved the close-up, hated plot, and was a ceramicist. Although he was writing this in 1974 many of the conditions he complained about sounded like 2024: The frightening rise of of close-minded Nationalism, the struggle between the financially driven studios and artistically driven directors, and finally "Our present-day religion is the bank, and our language is publicity" Could a better statement sum up our current culture??!!

[Les Dangerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually prefer biographies to autobiographies as the former tend to portray the subject more objectively. However, I really enjoyed this autobiography of Jean Renoir, who I felt I knew quite well by the end of the book, even though it is not a particularly long or detailed one. I definitely liked Renoir - frank, humorous and usually self-effacing - and he definitely joins my list of people I regret not having the chance to meet personally. The main focus of the book, after a few chapters on his childhood and early life, is on his films, some of which are regarded as amongst the best of 20th century film-making, notably ‘La grand illusion’, ‘La regle du jeu’ and ‘The river’. Martin Scorsese named the latter as one of the ten films which most influenced his own film making. However, there is some coverage of his private life, his two marriages (at the same time!) and his relationship with his father, the famous artist.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a memoir, not an autobiography - Renoir makes no attempt to provide a complete story of his life, and mentions many people who were surely important in his life (his wives, his son) mostly in passing. Appropriately for the son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, it is impressionistic, focusing on certain moments in his life that were striking to him when he looked back on his life. If you are a fan of his films, Renoir gives you insight into the choices he made about subject matter and directing, and you get the sense why his best movies have so much life in them. It is the small moments he describes that are powerful, particularly the closing image, when, as a dying old man, he calls out again what he used to say as a child running behind his beloved governess, now deceased: Attends-moi, Gabrielle! (Wait for me, Gabrielle!)

[Felicia Maroni · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always great to read a first hand account of one of your all time favourite directors. I really wish people would watch more of his work, and give second chances to the ones they have seen, because they're missing out on films made by one of the most empathetic artists of our time.

Great and easy read, highly recommend for the film nerds out there.

[Pintobuns · Rating 5 out of 5]

such wisdom and empathy. he’s like the chef gusteau of movies

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

~ 3.75 ~

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a few interesting insights from film history, but mostly this is a rambling book about Renoir's friends. For him personally I'm sure it was meaningful, but not worth 300 pages for a reader.

[Anna P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amintirile lui Renoir din copilarie sunt dominate de figura tatalui- Pierre Auguste Renoir si a unei fete de saisprezece ani care-i servea ca model pentru unele picturi si-i tinea companie micului Jean. Gabrielle este si cea careia ii este dedicata cartea, deoarece regizorul sustine ca ea i-a facut cunostinta cu lumea teatrului, l-a invatat sa vada chipurile prin masti si sa aiba oroare de cliseu. Urmeaza primele sale intalniri cu cinematograful, fascinatia sa pentru un actor numit Charlot, intalnirea cu Catherine Hessling care-i va fi si sotie, deceptiile dar si bucuriile pe care i le-a oferit lumea cinematografiei.


http://moonlightblues.wordpress.com/2...

[Antonius Block]

This chronological collection of vignettes from Renoir’s life is something of an autobiography, balancing anecdotes, personal theories, and life wisdom throughout. There is little analysis of his work here, but the sizable amount of background information, along with stories that reveal Renoir’s sensibility, make this a worthwhile and at times enlightening read.

[Mark Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite film director. A wonderful storyteller. In my opinion, moving pictures was the most relevant art form three quarters into the 20th century. Chaplin, Murnau, Ford, Carne, Lang, Renoir, Ozu, Rossellini, Duvivier, De Sica, Wyler, Lubitsch, Kurasawa, Tarkovsky, Fellini, Godard, Antonioni, Lean, Bergman, Clouzot, JP Melville etc etc. Very few films made after 1970 are worthwhile.

[Aeisele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I was born a hundred years about, mainly so I could've met this man. I love his films, and it seems to me we'd have been of one mind about lots of things. At least that's how he writes, and that's how me makes movies.

[Kimberly Willson - St. Clair · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a great chicken recipe in either this book or the one about his father, Auguste....The greatest film auteur (in my book) talks about spontaneity and capturing real life on film.

[Louis Zieja · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir, a guide to film making, a philosphy, a missiosn statement. Reconmended even to those who are not fans of his films.

[Alex Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

you have to love renoir to love movies.

[Arthur Hoyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warm memoir from the master of French humanist cinema. Contains a touching portrait of his father, the painter Auguste Renoir.

[JopEmonts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heel leerzaam in de manier waarop Renoir reflecteert op zijn carrière, heel leuk in de manier waarop Renoir de mensen portreteert die hij tegenkwam onderweg. Goeie quotables.

[Paul Secor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow. (I hope.)