La Petite marchande d'allumettes

Renoir summons a charmingly tragic little fantasy after the Impressionist fashion. Ah, what lamplight, and what soft focus! Hessling excelled at roles in the girlish manner of Gish or Pickford, which this most emphatically is. This is the film you knew these two had in them ever since that dream sequence in La fille de l'eau. And that frantic horse chase through the sky leading into that ending.. just.. ah...

Nothing I have seen yet of Renoir's prepared me for this. An elaborate fantasy with some outright surreal imagery. Perhaps it doesn't have a lot of depth but I found it to be delightful, particularly the inventive sets and special effects. Beautiful music too.

Catherine Hessling was enchanting and the film played out like some kid's fever dream.

Jean Renoir adapts Anderson's story in such a way as to highlight the harsh realities of poverty. He achieves his purpose through a sharp juxtaposition of opposites. It's in the contrast with fantasy that we see the reality clearly. The tragedy of the film is that people like Karen have no hope of elevating their circumstances. But the beautiful desire for something better--for joy and peace and justice--that lies in the most desperate of hearts serves to ignite in us a glimmer of hope.

I Love the music...

Beautiful little movie with outstanding camera work and sophisticated direction. The only real drawback might be its budget, resulting in a somewhat cheapish looking set design and sloppish effects work. Very few cartons are used which should make easy to watch with children.

what the f... stupid even for the standards of 1928

Very pretty and poetic tale.