Customer Reviews

The Southerner [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Renoir's "The Southerner" captures the gripping poverty of southern share croppers. It has a good story line, beautiful black and white cinematography, and fine acting. In fact my only objection is that the actors did not have much of a southern accent and looked "too pretty" at times for their environment.

This is a film that cries out for restoration, as has been done with the wonderful Criterion Collection DVD of "Grand Illusion". As it is, I rated this 4 stars because of the 2 to 3 star poor condition of the print used...black lines, jumping images at times and poor soundtrack. Well, you can't have everything and would still recommend seeing this movie. Together with "Grapes of Wrath" and "Salt of the Earth", it draws a powerful portrait of the power of a family and human kindness in a struggle against grinding poverty.

A sincere film, real, poignant, believable, and excellently acted all around. It tells the story of the hardships lived by a poor family in the country. For sure in my top ten list! Unforgettable!

An older black & white film about a southern family in the early 30s when success or failure depended on the elements (rain, drought) and the good will of neighbors. It's a film about people and they don't make that kind of film anymore. Nobody commits adultery, love scenes that didn't embarrass me (I'm not a Peeping Tom) there is no blood and guts (although it is threatened at one point) and the people work hard and are loyal, care about each other, and the ending is believable...not happy ever after...but more like it was...and is. Scott acts one of the few parts he has had who is sympathetic. Betty Field was a great actress, as was Beulah Bondi. J. Carrol Naish played every ethnicity except his own (Irish) and this time he had no accent. Scott was a also very accomplished actor. Altogether an inspired cast.

A beautifully shot and acted classic film with two of the most professional and gifted stars Hollywood ever produced ( and vastly underrated in my opinion).Zachary Scott, usually cast in "lounge Lizard" and slimy no good but extremely handsome parts, was cast against type in this film and the result was a masterpiece in the craft of inspired acting. Buy it and watch it over and over again!!

I have to admit, I am a fan of both Zachary Scott and Betty Fields. As a youngster, I got to meet both of them when they were on the summer stock circuit on the East Coast. They were outstanding and talented stage performers, and exceptionally, kind individuals.

After appearing in "The Mask of Dimitrios" at Warner Bros., Scott's portrayal of Sam Tucker, cotton farmer, was one of his few, non-heavy roles in film that he was able to get away from Warner to complete. Betty Field was also well-known for her wonderful performance in "Of Mice and Men" with Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney, Jr.

Together, in "The Southerner", Scott and Field have a striking chemistry and are thoroughly convincing as husband and wife, loving parents, and struggling farmers.

Apparently, Jean Renoir refused to become involved in the film production, unless he was allowed to the rewrite the screenplay, himself. The film, in black and white, has an expressive, gritty, graphic quality, due to Renoir and cinematographer, French-born, Lucien Andriot.

However, this particular, DVD version, has no support material and, no main menu. It is solely the film, which should have been restored. Having said that, we're lucky to have the film on DVD, at all.

At the same time, I am also enjoying the (2006) biography, Zachary Scott: Hollywood's Sophisticated Cad by Ronald L. Davis. It's a good read, and underscores Scott's struggles and frustration to become a complete, dramatic star in Hollywood.

I almost wish, when Scott visited London, as a young man, that he would have remained there to continue his studies in Shakespeare. Instead, he choose to quickly return to the New York stage, and eventually, seek his fortune in Hollywood. I wonder, how far he would have been able to stretch his dramatic skills?

Newly married, Jean made a film about a happy marriage. Who can forget the beautiful soundtrack and the moving images of Sam and Nona working and sleeping side by side, working and sleeping as the summer goes by. I like to think that this film was Jean Renoir's love poem to his wife. With this film Jean begins a renewal that will culminate in the least cynical and most sincere of his films, The River.

My wife and I enjoyed this saga of a sharecroppers family. The complaining grandma was terrific and the true hardships were filmed with dust bowl realism. All the acting was great and I find it amazing that the French director Jean Renoir had such a handle on risk taking Americans. This is an underrated film.

Most people in our affluent society today have no real concept of what true poverty is. This movie brings the reality home just as "Saving Private Ryan" brought home to us what REAL war is like. My family is from eastern Kentucky and we LOVE this movie because we can relate to it. It also shows how people can be so uncaring about their fellow man, even little children. This movie truly is a "wake up call" to the human psyche. I wish more people would watch it and learn from it.

I saw this movie on a Saturday morning when I had nothing else to do. It kept me entertained for the whole hour and 30 minutes. It's absorbing, interesting and heartwarming. It's one of the first really good movies I've seen in awhile. Zachary Scott and Betty Field are perfect in their roles as the struggling farmers. I would definately recommend it.

I saw this movie during a Renoir retrospective at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, recently. I don't love all of Renoir's work, but this is one of his masterpieces. One of my favorite movies is The Grapes of Wrath. The Southerner is Wrath's brother. Two Masterpieces!!