Le Crime de Monsieur Lange
Though Jean Renoir's apparently classic piece of film has touched many hearts, it certainly didn't touch mine. Over the past few years where I've been viewing more films than I ever have before, I've discovered myself to be a man of plot. I am intrigued by how the director utilizes a basic story structure as well as characterization and transforms it into a nice visual. I felt that with this film, it didn't happen. I felt that Batala, the opposition, developed barely any antagonism throughout the film, if any. It seems as if he truly becomes the bad guy right at the end. While I should have been affected by Batala's sexually predatorial ways on the laundresses, it just didn't seem to impact me as much as it did others. I suppose I could blame the director or the actor, but I think it may have come from the source: the script. Anyway, the one thing I did enjoy was the almost humorous influence of the American west on this film. A sort-of shootout and Lange's creation (Arizona Jim ) were a few obvious points to support that. Well, anyway, that's it for now. Bash me for disliking a classic if you want.
"So I'm a heel, so what of it?"
--Renaldo the Heel, from Crimewave
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