Cinematic background from The River 1951 - Director Jean Renoir’s entrancing first color feature—shot entirely on location in India—is a visual tour de force. Based on the novel by Rumer Godden, the film eloquently contrasts the growing pains of three young women with the immutability of the Bengal river around which their daily lives unfold. Enriched by Renoir’s subtle understanding and appreciation for India and its people, The River gracefully explores the fragile connections between transitory emotions and everlasting creation.
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman in a blue dress standing in an old brick building; Wide shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man and a woman standing next to each other in front of a brick wall; Medium shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – An older man wearing a white shirt and a bow tie; Close Up shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – An old man and a young boy are sitting together; Medium shot, Over the shoulder angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A person wearing a white shirt; Close Up shot, Over the shoulder angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A large group of men sitting on top of a boat; Wide shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young girl sitting on the ground with a notebook and pen; Close Up shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A group of men sitting on the ground in a room; Wide shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young woman is sitting down with her hand on her face; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young woman smiling and holding her finger to her mouth; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man holding a green parrot in his hand; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – Two women talking to each other in front of a window; Close Up shot, Over the shoulder angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – Two women looking through a fence at a park; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A person wearing a shirt; Close Up shot, Over the shoulder angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – Two little girls sitting at a table doing homework; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman with long brown hair wearing a white dress; Close Up shot, Over the shoulder angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young woman in a blue dress looking at the camera; Close Up shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young girl with a blue eyes and red hair; Close Up shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man in a white dress shirt smiling for the camera; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man sitting on the ground holding a glass; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man walking down the stairs of a building; Extreme Wide shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – Two women are standing in front of each other; Medium shot, Over the shoulder angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young girl sitting next to an older woman; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young girl in a blue dress leaning against a wall; Medium shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman and a young girl standing next to each other; Medium shot, Over the shoulder angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young man is hiding his face with his hands; Close Up shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – An old man with a beard and a turban is leaning on a fence; Medium shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man and a little girl sitting next to each other; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man sitting on the ground with his hand on his face; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman with long black hair wearing a white shirt; Close Up shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young woman in a blue dress is laying on the ground; Wide shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – Two young girls are looking over a railing; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A person wearing a pink shirt; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman in a blue dress standing next to a pile of rubble; Medium shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man and a girl are looking at a book; Medium shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman and a child looking over a fence; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman in a yellow and red sari looks into the camera; Close Up shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – Two young girls are looking through a fence; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man and a woman are hugging each other; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man standing on the side of a boat at night; Wide shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman sitting on the ground holding a book; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young girl sitting on the ground writing on a piece of paper; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman and a young girl posing for a picture; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young girl in a pink dress smiling for the camera; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A person wearing a dress shirt; Close Up shot, Over the shoulder angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young girl laying on the ground reading a book; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A little girl wearing a crown petting a cat on the floor; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – Two men sitting in a room with a brick wall; Medium shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man and a woman sitting on a brick wall; Medium shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man in a checkered dress shirt and tie; Close Up shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man and a little girl sitting next to each other; Medium shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A person wearing a dress shirt; Close Up shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – An old man standing at the entrance to a garden; Wide shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A person sitting in a room; Close Up shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A man in a white dress shirt is sitting in a room; Close Up shot, Over the shoulder angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – Two people in a body of water near a dock; Extreme Wide shot, High angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A woman and a young boy standing on a balcony; Medium shot, Low angle
Movie still from “The River” (1951), directed by Jean Renoir – A young woman smiling for the camera in front of trees; Close Up shot, High angle