The film needs no justification outside itself as a rich, funny, rewarding experience.
Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:16
Fresh:16
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8.5/10
Runtime: 87 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: In an oeuvre permeated with ambivalence toward bourgeois life, director Jean Renoir speculates on the result of the abandonment of those values in BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING. Producer Michel Simon... In an oeuvre permeated with ambivalence toward bourgeois life, director Jean Renoir speculates on the result of the abandonment of those values in BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING. Producer Michel Simon stars as Boudu, a vagabond who attempts suicide by throwing himself into the Seine, grieving over the loss of his dog. But Eduaord Lestingois (Charles Granval), a humane bookseller, rescues him and takes him into his home, hoping to reform the shaggy bum. Shortly thereafter, anarchy reigns as the household is turned upside down by the antics of this large three-year-old. Spitting in first editions, using silken sheets to polish his shoes, sleeping in the hallway, and similar breaches of etiquette do little to endear Boudu to Lestingois. However, once Boudu has had a bath and shave in order to please the maid, Mrs. Lestingois (Marcelle Hainia) becomes surprisingly responsive to his overtures. The maid (Severine Lerczinska), who is Lestingois's mistress, also seems to feel the tramp's mysterious charm. Lestingois, an exemplary bourgeois, now has more than one reason to envy the man he saved from drowning. Among Renoir's finest films, this sharp-eyed take on the paradox of bourgeois liberalism includes stunning photography of Paris in the 1930s and a legendary comic performance by Michel Simon. [More]
Starring: Michel Simon, Charles Grandval, Marcelle Hainia, Jean Daste
Starring: Michel Simon, Charles Grandval, Marcelle Hainia, Jean Daste, Jacques Becker
Director: Jean Renoir
Director: Jean Renoir
Get This Movie
Reviews for Boudu Saved from Drowning
Amid the early-talkie crudeness you can see Renoir discover what it means to visually evoke the unpredictable flow of life with composition, movement, and depth.
The most startling thing about Boudu is just how incredibly fresh it remains.
Boudu Saved From Drowning is one of Jean Renoir's most enjoyable films. Its wit, freshness and spontaneity continue to impress.
Even enterprise without state can be amply rewarded in the films of Renoir.
Recognized for its marvelous characterizations, its splendid acting and its inventive film technique.
Jean Renoir's effortless 1932 masterpiece is as informal, beguiling, and subversive as its eponymous hero.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Boudu Saved from Drowning at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


