Summary
By an odd stroke of fate, the bourgeois Jean Dubois d’Ombelles and his valet Joseph Turlot
end up having to serve their military service at the same time, in the same barracks.
Neither man is particularly well-suited for army life and a series of disasters naturally
ensues. Jean, who sees himself as a poet, is as inept at becoming a soldier as he
has been in his attempts to court his cousin, Solange. Joseph is hardly any
better. Having disgraced themselves in front of their fellow soldiers and their
commanding officer, Colonel Brochart, Jean and Joseph have one last chance to redeem themselves.
They will provide the entertainment at the impending regimental party...
Review
Jean Renoir’s most overtly comical and anarchistic film, Tire au flanc is the definitive
comedy of army life, a popular subject at the time (stemming most probably from the unpopularity
of military service). Noticeably less restrained and less technically accomplished
than Renoir’s other silent films, it is clear that the director’s main preoccupation here
was to entertain. And, whilst many of the jokes are pretty laboured and dated by
today’s standards, it is not hard to see why this film would have been appreciated by
a 1920s audience.
Much of the comedy in the film was improvised, giving it a sense of unpredictability and
a great sense of fun. The film marks Jean Renoir’s first collaboration with Michel
Simon (who appears incredibly young and lively in this film). Largely as a
result of Renoir’s support, Simon would become one of the most sought after actors in
French cinema in the 1930s and the following decades.
The idea of partnering a well-to-do man with his valet allowed Renoir to explore one of
his favourite themes, that of breaking down artificial barriers between different social
classes. Here, this subject is treated comically, but in his later works, Renoir
would develop the idea more seriously, giving it a far more humanist perspective.
The best example of this is in his 1937 masterpiece, La
Grande illusion.
© James Travers 2004
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