The Rules of the Game

1939 1h 50m FR

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🔥

97%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.9

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 684🍅97%Rotten Tomatoes●99Metacritic★7.9IMDB · 31,917

DramaComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Marquis de la Chesnaye and his wife host a weekend gala where a variety of complicated romantic and social entanglements between guests and servants lead to tragedy, all against the backdrop of a looming war.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Jean Renoir
Octave
Marcel Dalio
Robert de la Cheyniest
Nora Gregor
Christine de la Cheyniest
Julien Carette
Marceau, le braconnier
Roland Toutain
André Jurieux
Paulette Dubost
Lisette, sa camériste
Gaston Modot
Edouard Schumacher, le garde-chasse
Mila Parély
Geneviève de Marras

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jean Renoir
Writers: Jean Renoir
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 3% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

87 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jean Renoir, shot by Jean Bachelet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Joseph Kosma. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marthe Huguet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Jean Renoir and Marcel Dalio and Nora Gregor carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0031885 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jean Renoir directs. Jean Bachelet behind the camera. Joseph Kosma scores. Marthe Huguet cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 3% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
287 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Jean Renoir, shot by Jean Bachelet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Joseph Kosma. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Marthe Huguet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jean Renoir and Marcel Dalio and Nora Gregor carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0031885 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 11 themes, including "jealousy", "paris, france", "upper class", "servant".