Abstract The paper discusses the stark contrast between the world of the aristocrats and the world of the servants who attended to them in rural France before World War II. The paper shows how Jean Renoir brings these two groups together in the classic 1939 movie "Rules of the Game." The paper explains how Renoir violated many rules of writing, both in the number and complexity of the characters and the number of subplots that he allowed. This allowed Renoir the ability to create an entire world within the Chateau. The paper discusses how this film offers modern viewers a glimpse at the mood which prevailed in France during World War II.
Outline:
The Importance of Characterization
Plot Summary
Stylistic Notes
Characterization
Symbolism and Theme
From the Paper "Movies and novels are classified as to the key driving force of the plot. Some stories are clearly plot driven. Plot driven story lines depend on the events to create interest for the audience. Plot driven stories depend on forces outside of the characters themselves to create interest. These types of stories have several pitfalls. The first is that the characters can seem shallow. The true test of a plot driven story is if one could imagine other characters in the same situation without affecting the impact of the film. The characters themselves are not essential to the success of the story. Plot driven stories often involve generic characters such as hero and heroine archetypes."
Abstract This paper explains that, in 1624, King Louis XIII built the Chateau de Versailles as a fairly humble brick, stone and slate hunting lodge; however, Louis XIV, starting in about 1661, enlarged the lodge into the fantasy palace and gardens, which today are still considered architectural and cultural masterpieces visited by eight million people every year. The author points out that the King's architects were Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin Mansart; Andre le Notre designed the gardens to match the lavish design of the place. The paper relates that the use of a strong central axis at the Tuileries gardens, as projected by Le Notre, was a major influence upon later architecture as evidenced in the grand axis of Paris to the Arc de Triomphe and La Defense.
From the Paper "France became the dominant power in Europe during the reign of Louis XIV. And thus, the country's architecture also became widely influential. Since the monarchy was absolute, architecture was primarily influenced by what was built to the order of the King. French architecture of this period reached a turning point when King Louis XIV rejected curvilinear designs by Giovanni Benini for the east facade of the Louvre. The King preferred the more classicizing design with its colonnade by Louis le Vau and Claude Perrault. Le Vau was also commissioned together with Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Charles Le Brun and Andre le Notre to transform a hunting lodge outside Paris into a vast palace."
