lifesoboring The Lure of the Wilderness, the 1952 re-make of this film was better in my opinion. ( I rated that 8 stars) .The acting in this, Swamp Water, was of somewhat lower quality, notably the characters of the fugitive's daughter and Ben's first girlfriend. It was interesting to see that the two movies are almost identical, scene for scene .There were a couple of plot aspects that were puzzling to me in this original version. (One that I am thinking of was in the re-make also). The color in the '52 version enhanced the visual appeal of the swamp, and that went a long way in making the latter version better.

LeonLouisRicci Unusual Studio (Fox) Film with the Usual Studio Interference, Ignoring (once again) the Talent of the Director (Jean Renoir) because He (Zanuck) could. Still, the Artistry Remains and Thankfully the Changes and Bullying from another Egomaniacal Mogul did not Result in a Catastrophe. Because Renoir's Sensibilities Stamped the Movie with such a Decidedly Different Approach that, even Today, when Compared to its Contemporaries from the Assembly Line, it Stands Out as an Odd, Graceful, and Touching Story of Swamp People Living on the Edge Slightly Removed from Regular "Folks".Walter Brennan, Dana Andrews, Walter Huston, and Anne Baxter are part of the Fine Cast that Despite having to Dialect, the Feel of the Characters is Not Lost and the Beautifully Dark and Dank Surroundings are Impressive and Engaging.On Location and On Set, the Film is Highly Atmospheric in an Other Worldly Sense. It might have been Set on "Another Star" as Walter Brennan eludes. The People and Place are Rendered by Renoir Fascinating and some of the Story Arcs Push the Envelope of its Time.It's a Gritty Tale that Peeks in on the "Other" and it Offers Rubberneckers and Voyeurs a Glimpse of Life in one of America's Uncharted Territories that Reveals Colorful, Rustic, but Real Souls trying to Make Sense of Their Place in God's Universe and there's Plenty of Heart to be Seen as well as a "Touch of Evil".

Spikeopath Swamp Water is directed by Jean Renoir and adapted to screenplay by Dudley Nichols from the novel written by Vereen Bell. It stars Walter Brennan, Walter Huston, Dana Andrews, Anne Baxter, Virginia Gilmore, John Carradine, Eugene Palette, Ward Bond and Guinn Williams. Music is by David Buttolph and cinematography by J. Peverell Marley. Dana Andrews plays Ben, a young man who while searching for his dog out in the Okefenokee Swamp happens across fugitive Tom Keefer (Brennan). With Keefer swearing his innocence, the two men become friends and hunting partners. But it's not long before suspicions are aroused back in town...Renoir's first American film is ultimately a lesser light from his output. Not helped by the interference from 20th Century Fox supremo Darryl F. Zanuck, Renoir still managed to craft a film of visual atmospherics that neatly cloak a salty observation of backwater inhabitants. Renoir purposely keeps the pace sedate, choosing his moments when to insert tenderness or peril into the morally murky play, his sense of character building a treat to observe. The swamp itself, actual location filming a major bonus, is the key character on show. It's a place feared by the locals because of the dangers that lurk there, but of course the swamp and its critters are nothing compared to the humans back in town...All told it's very good film making, from cast performances, visuals and narrative worth, but you just come away knowing it should have been so much more. That it could have had an edge to keep you perched on the end of your seat throughout, and to then deliver a coup de grâce instead of the tacked on happy finale that we get. Something which of course wasn't of Renoir's doing... 7/10

worldofgabby I'm not really familiar with Renoir's movies: I watched "The Woman on the Beach" a number of years ago and enjoyed it for Robert Ryan's performance, and its unusual plot and characters (especially Charles Bickford as the blind artist.) Unlike others, my appreciation of "Swamp Water" was not affected by its comparison to other films by the great French director. I came across "Swamp Water" online and, not knowing anything about it, initially thought it was either a horror movie or one of those cornpone looks at the "poor ole souls" of the deep South. The film's credits lifted my spirits, and assured me that I was in for a surprise. And I was. I love this movie: the cinematography, the subtle characterizations, the dialogue (especially Brennan's cosmic musings.) Dana Andrews (never my favorite actor, always to me a poor man's Robert Ryan) is superb, Walter Brennan, as usual, transcendent, the women complex and not condescended to, and the array of familiar character actors round out the cast with their usual more than competent contributions. Swamp Water has a psychological and emotional complexity unusual for such a simply plotted film, and its haunting evocation of the mysterious region in which it is set assures it will remain one of my favorites.