The River (DVD, 2005, Special Edition)

Product Details
Overview -
River
Features
New, high-definition digital transfer from the 2004 film restoration; Introduction to the film by Jean Renoir; Rumer Godden: An Indian Affair, a 1995 BBC documentary that follows the author as she journeys back to her childhood home in India; New video interview with Martin Scorsese, a key figure in the restoration; 2000 audio interview with producer Ken McEldowney; Stills gallery featuring production photos and publicity stills; Original theatrical trailer; English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired; Plus: Essays by film scholars Ian Christie and Alexander Sesonske
Scene Index
Side #1 --
1. Opening Credits/Introduction [2:55]
2. The Family [6:25]
3. Captain John [6:10]
4. Diwali [10:11]
5. Pretty Little Butterfly [4:13]
6. Wandering [6:28]
7. A Secret [4:59]
8. The Pipal Tree [4:04]
9. "The River Runs..." [2:33]
10. Harriet's Story [11:49]
11. A Snake in the Garden [5:13]
12. "An Unexpected Intrigue" [8:47]
13. Growing Pains [5:58]
14. Funerals [4:31]
15. Into the River [1:43]
16. Spring [7:35]
17. Color Bars [5:34]
1. "The Country Beckoned" [4:41]
2. Bittersweet Memories [5:10]
3. A Headlong Life in Calcutta [5:17]
4. Laurence Sinclair Foster [9:53]
5. "An Artificial Life" [5:47]
6. Black Narcissus [6:06]
7. Adrift in Kashmir [2:18]
8. "I Had Ceased to Be His Business" [1:59]
9. Breakdown [5:06]
10. Salvation [4:30]
11. A Mysterious Affliction [6:06]
12. Epilogue/Closing Credits [1:41]
Editorial Reviews
The River must be seen in its original Technicolor; it is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine anyone fully enjoying this wonderful film while watching a black-and-white TV print. Adapted by director Jean Renoir and Rumer Godden from Godden's own novel, the film is set on the banks of West Bengal. The central character is teenaged British girl Harriet (Patricia Walters), the offspring of a jute-mill owner (Esmond Knight) and his wife (Nora Swinburne). Harriet and her best friend Valerie (Adrienne Corri) harbor a crush for a dashing visitor named Captain John (Thomas E. Breen), who in turn is preoccupied with the hauntingly beautiful Indian girl Melanie (Radha Shri Ram). This languid state of affairs is shaken up by unexpected tragedy involving Harriet's impulsive brother (Richard Foster). The real star of the proceedings is the titular river, exquisitely color-photographed by Claude Renoir (Jean's nephew) and his Indian assistant Ramanda Sen Gupta. The apotheosis of Jean Renoir's lifelong fascination with India, The River served as a launching pad for the directorial career of Satyajit Ray, who met and befriended Renoir during the shooting of this film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi All Movie Guide
Specifications
Director: Jean Renoir
Actors: Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight, Arthur Shields, Thomas E. Breen, Patricia Walters, Suprova Mukerjee
Producer: Kenneth McEldownery