Holiday Buying Guide

$29.98

Surely the most beloved film master of his time, Renoir was the painter's son whose canvas was the screen, and whose subject was humanity in all its passion and folly. This six-film, low-price collection from Lionsgate has no official masterpieces; look elsewhere for La Grande Illusion and The Rules of the Game. But it shows Renoir's amazing range over his four-decade career, from the silent Whirlpool of Fate and Nana in the 1920s to a horror film (The Testament of Doctor Cordelier) and a wistful war comedy (The Elusive Corporal) in the 60s. Highlight: La Marseillaise, a kind of docudrama set in the French Revolution. Through all of these minor gems, Renoir's craftsmanship and wisdom glow.

— Richard Corliss