dougdoepke How wonderful are the rhythms, color, and imagery as they flow lyrically along - man, beast, spreading tree. They succeed one another like the film's central metaphor, the living continuum, the river of life. The lyricism, however, tends to flatten out the story's sparse drama in a way that requires some patience. In fact, these rhythms are the point -- life, death, renewal -- all beautifully photographed in great splashes of Technicolor. To contemporary audiences, a film like this must seem an import from an alien world, and I suspect it was not commercial even on release -- who else in the US but an art house would show it! The story is slender and idealized, set indelibly in India, and likely the author's fond reminiscence of childhood under the British protectorate. Except for the boy's muted passing, not much really happens.The only conflict involves three girls competing for a youngish war veteran, and it's a measure of Renoir's approach that the competition never interferes with their friendship. Everyone, it seems, behaves with admirable restraint, even the dutiful servants, all of which serves to somewhat prettify the British presence. Nevertheless, this is one of those movies that creeps up on you. It's only afterward, when the images have had a chance to linger and luminesce, that their sum total registers and you know you've seen something lasting. I, for one, am glad Renoir defied the rule and did not use pretty people; that would only have emphasized plot over theme, and individual over universal. Moreover, I wish more ordinary looking people appeared in movies, especially from Hollywood. Finding the unusual in the usual is the kind of thing I believe this movie was trying to bring out, while learning that lesson would do much to heal our celebrity- driven culture. This is a Renoir classic and demonstrates once again, amidst a slam-bang world, what can be done on the plane of artistic understatement

Claudio Carvalho In Bengal, India, the teenager Harriet (Patricia Walters) is the oldest daughter of a British family composed by her father (Esmond Knight) that lost one eye in the war and is the manager of a jute factory; her mother (Nora Swinburne) that is pregnant; and her four younger sisters and one little brother. They have a quiet and comfortable life living in a big house nearby the Ganges River. Valerie (Adrienne Corri) is the teenage daughter the owner of the jute factory where Harriet's father works that spends most of her time with Harriet. Melanie is the British-Indian daughter of Harriet's neighbor Mr. John (Arthur Shields) that has just returned from an education in England. When the young American Captain John (Thomas E. Breen) that lost one of his legs in the war comes to Bengal to visit his cousin Mr. John, the three teenagers fall in love for him. "The River" is a story of first love in the exotic India and metaphorically compares the Ganges River with the flow of life with the lead character leaving her childhood and becoming an adolescent. The screenplay of this romance has many beautiful quotes, but excessive narrative from a grown-up Harriet. The cinematography is stunning, with the use of bright colors in the environment of India. Thomas E. Breen performs an outcast character that has a great complex due to the loss of one of his legs but he does not transmit this feeling to the audience. The red-haired Adrienne Corri is a very beautiful young woman that gives credibility to her sixteen year-old character. The Brazilian DVD was released by Continental Distributor. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "O Rio Sagrado" ("The Sacred River")

Pierre_Christen Fantastic movie! The story and actors are so American, shot in a typical and beautiful rural area in India, all this with the class of great French master director Jean Renoir.I was lucky enough to watch it the first time in a theater back in 1993. The movie has left an unforgettable print in my mind.I read that Satyajit Ray (who was probably the best Indian film writer and director) had assisted Jean Renoir in the making of the movie. This partnership has greatly influenced the further works of Satyajit Ray. You will see similar greatness and beauty in his movies, as in Jean Renoir's.I fully recommend anyone who does not yet know Renoir to watch this, as well as his other better movies, such as "The Great Illusion", "The rules of the Game" (my favorite) "Boudu saved from the waters", "The Human Beast", etc.

miguelopp I saw this film a long time ago and I really loved it. I'm very interested in buying a DVD version of the film suitable for being watched in Europe, but the only versions I can find on the Internet are for Region 1 (United States). I would be very recognized if someone could help me and tell me if there's any version available for Region 2 (Europe). I'm sure there are a large number of people in Europe who would be interested in buying a DVD version of it. Thank you very much for your help. As for the film itself I really appreciate the slow rhythm of the film, similar to that of the water of the river passing by. It creates a very intense, touching, atmosphere.