Wednesday, February 17, 2016
The Hunt
Perhaps the most famous scene from The Rules of the Game involves the scene in which the Marquis' guests shoot rabbit and pheasant beaten from the forest by the gamekeeper. What is so distinctive and striking about the scene? Why does it pack such an emotional punch? What is the deeper significance or symbolism of this scene?
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The hunt scene in The Rules of the Game is one of the most iconic scenes in the entire film. Layered underneath the ritualized hunt is a plethora of symbolism. The scene itself is very symbolic in its nature. The Rules of the Game is considered a war film with no mention of war. The hunt is the only scene within the movie that hints at the impending world war. The scene is particularly striking because of the way it is filmed; this single four minutes scene contains one seventh of the total shots of the one hundred and five minute movie. The vast number of shots that show innocent animals being killed packs a huge emotional punch for the audience by paralleling them to the slaughter of innocents in war. The close up shots of each animal taking its final breath evoke sympathy and sadness from any audience. The deeper significance is also its connection to André’s death. Octave, played by Renoir himself, actually warns André at the start of the hunt that they risked being mistaken for rabbits and shot. This is extremely important because as the director, Octave/Renoir is given a deeper understanding of the plot and his harmless message actually contains a ton of foreshadowing. The close up of the rabbit shaking and dying is paralleled to the innocent death of André. The entirety of The Rules of the Game, but particularly the hunt scene, is really fascinating because it hides its ominous foreshadowing under the guise of bourgeoisie opulence.
ReplyDeleteThis scene is very distinctive for multiple reasons. It demonstrates symbolism, foreshadow, and many different film techniques. The rabbits are the symbols in this case. The Rules of the Game was known as a war movie and even though there were no scenes involving a war, the hunt scene symbolizes war. With the quick cuts showing rabbits and ducks drop from the gunshots, this symbolizes how brutal and painful the war will be. World war II started the day after this movie premiered and Renoir obviously knew it was coming, that’s he wanted to put some symbol of the war. The way he foreshadows is when Andre is warned that he should be careful because humans can be shot if they are mistaken to be rabbits. This is foreshadowing because later in the movie Shumacher shoots Andre, mistaking him for Marceau. During the hunt scene, Marceau was caught for poaching the rabbits and so he was already thought of by Shumacher as a nuisance, and that is how Robert described rabbits. So, Shumacher shot Andre who he thought was Marceau, who can be defined as a rabbit. Therefore a perfect parallel of what Andre was warned about during the hunt scene. The film techniques used during this scene was the large amount of cuts and tracking shots. In the entire movie there are around 350 cuts; 50 of those are in this 4 minute scene. These quick cuts and the tracking shots of rabbits running through the woods keep the audience on its toes. When I watched this scene I knew I couldn’t look away or I’d miss something. That is why this scene is so amazing; it makes reference to a controversial current event, sets up the rest of the movie, and keeps the audience engaged by using multiple film techniques.
ReplyDeleteThe famous Hunt scene from The Rules of the Game is so striking because it stands out from the other scenes while it is overlaid with symbolism and foreshadows the rest of the movie. Despite being only four minutes of the 105 minute long movie, the hunt scene contains almost one seventh of all of the shots in the whole film. If anything, the short takes in the hunting scene show the importance of the scene in the grand scheme of things because of Jean Renoir’s ability to make it distinctive and stand out. These short takes are unlike all of the long takes in the rest of the movie and are parallel to the shouts and whistles from the gamekeeper, the beater’s sticks thumping the wood, and the rapid gunfire shooting down birds and rabbits. Ironically, as Jean-Renoir observed “The Rules of the Game” is “a war film which makes no reference to war.” However, the hunt scene applies to the ever looming and imminent Second World War. In a sense, the killing of the innocent birds and rabbits is symbolic for the innocent people that are brought upon the war. Furthermore, the numerous conflicts between characters throughout the film show that the French society is at war with itself. Perhaps the most interesting part of the hunt scene is the foreshadowing of the ending of the movie. At the start of the hunt scene, Octave warns Andre that they could be mistaken for rabbits. In the conclusion of the film Andre is struck by Schumacher’s bullet and falls over like a quivering rabbit from the hunt scene. As Falkner remarks, there are two possible meanings linking Andre to the shot-down rabbits. Either Andre’s life is no more value than a rabbit or Andre’s death is the end of a tragedy as even a rabbit’s life is meaningful. I believe that both of these apply because Andre’s death is a tragedy and meaningful to the viewer even if it doesn’t invoke sadness in the other characters. Another similarity between Andre and the rabbits is that after their death life goes on and the game continues.
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ReplyDeleteThe hunting scene in The Rules of the Game serves to be one of the most eye opening, deeply layered scene of the film. The scene involves one seventh of the total number of cuts of the entire movie. The complex editing and filming techniques were used to show a fast paced scene in which life moves in the fastest gear. The shooting of the rabbits was filmed using many cuts in order to show the motion and the overwhelming amount of things happening in a mere four minutes of the film. The killing of the rabbits seems to have deep symbolism and the scene is used to exemplify the inevitable war that is approaching. This scene is used to signify the war and the evil that is to come in the short future. Andre is warned to be careful for humans can easily be mistaken as rabbits in the field- this is used to foreshadow his death. Later on in the film, we see Andre shot to death by Shumacher mistaken to be Marceau. Marceau was related to the rabbits for their similar nuisance quality. Since Andre was mistaken to be Marceau when he was shot, we see a direct correlation between the killing of the rabbits and the death of a human being. It is as if the rabbits on the field represent the deaths of the soldiers in World War II. The usage of many cuts in the scene create a sort of chaos in which viewers are mesmerized by the many things going on so quickly- just like the war was a total chaos when populations across the world suffered devastating numbers of losses. The scene leaves viewers breathless as the shots fire one by one, creating a sense of a war against the innocent rabbits, foreshadowing an approaching evil.
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ReplyDeleteTo briefly explain, the scene displayed a group of beaters walking through the woods with sticks. They were banging on all the trees in order to flush out any rabbits and pheasants from trees. On the other side of the forest were a large amount of people armed with rifles hunting the escaping animals. This Scene is so intriguing because of its complexity in length of takes, number of takes, and repetition. Once the first shot is taken and the first rabbit dies, there is an immediate change in film technique. Short two second takes of animals getting shot appear one after another very quickly. Over and over rabbits and pheasants were rapidly dying in quick repetition. No other film during the time period had such complexity in their productions. Even though perceived as a horrible movie, it still was a major key to future productions. The brutal scene of pure mutilation represent the theory of evolution and the “survival of the fittest” ideal, as well as a symbol to love. This film is a story of love and a representation of “rules”, however the deeper meaning is that there are no rules, and mankind will always be unpredictable, as shown in the hunt scene. Constantly throughout the movie there are complications in the relationships between one another. The entirety of the movie is a portrayal of such actions, except for the hunt scene. The hunt scene is an emotional expectation of sorts. Nature used to live in peace until recent modernization, which is now dominated by the human population. Now, these people are ruling themselves with no regulation for love.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it may just seem like a fun day out, the hunt scene in The Rules of the Game symbolizes the murder to come. This scene is so memorable because of the violent killing of birds and rabbits. The exhilarating effect that the viewer feels is embellished by quick cuts and sounds. The climax is when the camera zooms in on the last rabbit. The many close-ups and action sequences really make this scene pop. As Faulkner says in our textbook, this scene “is designed to produce emotional ‘shock and awe’ in the spectator” (284). This foreshadows the death of Andre in a couple ways. In the beginning of the hunt scene, Octave remarks to Andre that they might be mistaken as rabbits and shot. Also, the poacher, Marceau, brings up the point that Andre fell forward just like a rabbit when he was shot (Faulkner 284). Both of these signs clearly point to the symbolism of the hunt scene. As Faulker also explains, another aspect of the hunt can be likened to Robert saying that pests like rabbits should be eliminated from his property. Andre can be likened to a pest that Robert doesn’t want on the property and thus needs to be eliminated, even though he wasn’t the intended target. In conclusion, the shock value of the hunt scene is enough to make anyone worried about what will come.
ReplyDeleteThe famous hunting scene from The Rules of the Game is very distinctive because of the way it is filmed and its deeper symbolism and foreshadowing in the movie. Taking only for minutes, this scene contains fifty out of three hundred and thirty six total shots in a 105 minute film. The rest of the film consists of long scenes where the viewer can choose where to look at since there is the use of deep focus and there is a lot going on in each scene. Even though most shots in this scene also use deep focus, the really fast movements and short duration of each shot make things stand out in each shot. This scene also foreshadows violence to come in the film. Andre’s death, which would come at the hands of the gamekeeper Schumacher and his hunting rifle, is foreshadowed by the shot of a rabbit slowly dying and by the warning he gets saying he should be careful or he might be confused for a rabbit. Schumacher intended to kill Marceau, who had been related to the rabbits One of the reasons this film was not liked, was because it was seen as a war movie, in large part due to this scene which includes the deaths of many rabbits and pheasants by the hands of the upper class. These deaths are meant to symbolize the horrors that World War II brought to Europe and how mostly the upper class made the lower class suffer. In this scene, the animals represent the lower class and the hunters the upper class, the scene shows that the upper class has all the power and the lower class can’t do anything other than try to survive.
ReplyDeleteThe Hunt Scene from The Rules of the Game is the most striking scene in the movie for many reasons. Firstly and foremost, the scene completely differs from the rest of the movie in the fact that it’s a very action packed scene. Sure the movie is exciting, but the hunt scene just drills you with a rush of adrenaline. The rest of the movie, disregarding this scene, consists of longer scenes that give the viewer more textual context as opposed to irrational, yet marvelous, cuts of dying animals one after the other. The scene mainly consists of rabbits and squirrels being shot and all of the scenes consist of a 2 or 3 second time span before panned to the next dying animal. The entirety of the movie, disregarding the hunt scene, consists of longer and far mellower scenes. The scene packs the emotional punch that it has because it’s like none other in the movie. There also is no easing into the scene. In the movie it jumps right from the men hitting the trees to bring the rabbits out to straight to the shooting. This rapidness and randomness also adds to the adrenaline packing force it carries. The movie is called The Rules of the Game, and in the hunt scene there’s a hidden connotation where it’s game that the characters are hunting, which I thought was very interesting. The scene also foreshadows the death of one of the characters.
ReplyDeleteThe hunt scene is distinctive because of its fast cuts of animals dying. The scene is emotional because of the sheer number of animals that are killed as well as the fleeting cut of each animal. The scene is analogous to the broader plot of the Rules of the Game which serves to highlight the violent tendencies of France’s upper class. The symbolism of the scene is integrally connected to the filming style and techniques.
ReplyDeleteThe hunt scene symbolizes the violent excess of France’s upper class. The hunt itself is a points and excessive activity for the rich’s entertainment. There is a stark contrast between what Marceau poaches for and what the Marquis’ guests hunt for. Marceau says that he poaches to feed himself while the Marquis’ guests hunt simply for the fun of it. Additionally, after the hunt concludes, the Marquis’ guests talk about how they stole each other’s kills which reinforces the idea that the hunt is only a game for them.
The excess of the hunt is analogized to the violent effects of another one of the bourgeoisie’s excessive proclivities. Andre is caught up in the vain affairs of France’s bourgeoisie and, like the rabbits, is killed as a byproduct of their irresponsible actions. Both the hunt scene and the general plot of the story demonstrate how reckless and violent the bourgeoisie can be. The hunt scene elicits a feeling of frustration with the irresponsibility of the upper class. The fast and violent scenes is integral to the emotional dimension of the scene because it captures the sheer body count of the upper class’ violent excesses.
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ReplyDeleteThe hunting scene in the movie The Rules of the Game is perhaps the most famous scene in the movie. The scene features Marquis’ guests walking through the woods shooting rabbits and pheasants. Renoir, the producer, used many film editing techniques to show the hunt scene. The hunt scene is around 4 minutes long which seems short compared to the 105 minute movie. However, in those 4 short minutes, Renoir chose to cut the film 50 times, almost one seventh of the film’s 336 total shots. The hunting scene is so striking to the viewer for multiple reasons. One reason is because the scene is so action packed. The camera constantly switches angles and point of views keeping the viewer focused and thing thinking. Viewers will see the camera cut from the game keepers and their guns to the defenseless trying to run away. Looking deeper, the scene really packs an emotional punch because of the film shows death with great detail. In the scene the death of the animals is exaggerated purposely; it contributes to the foreshadowing of Andre’s later death with Octave’s earlier warning as well as serves as a more significant symbol. Some believe the dead animals symbolize innocent lives and others believe that they symbolize people that are a nuisance. Although not explicitly labeled, The Rules of the Game is a war film. The game is war and Andre symbolizes the people who die because they do not play by the rules. The film’s symbolism of war was seen right away by the public and many people were upset when the film was released right at the outbreak of WWII.
ReplyDeleteThe Hunt scene is a very vital piece to this movie. The hunt scene is so distinctive because of its accelerating pace. For the viewer you feel as if the scene gets faster after each cut, and this gives you a burst of adrenaline as if you were there. For most of the movie the tone is slow and lethargic, which is why the hunt scene catches many viewers by surprise. The hunt scene is not only intended to wake the viewer up, but there is also a lot of symbolism throughout the scene. An example of this symbolism could be war for example. In this case the animals being the enemy. This scene could also be a mockery of war saying that war is very one sided hence the fact that the animals cannot fight back to the humans. Lastly these scene could also be used as a foreshadowing to the death of Andre. Shumacher is a very big hunter, and he did most of the hunting with his rifle, and in the last scenes in the movie Shumacher kills Andre with his rifle just as he would a rabbit while hunting. In Conclusion the hunt scene is very spectacular, and can be interpreted in many different ways.
ReplyDeleteIn the famous ‘hunt scene’ from The Rules of the Game, there are a series of characteristics which separate it from the rest of the film, and make it notable. For one instance, the shorter cuts create a much faster-paced, violent atmosphere, in contrast of the long-cut, dialogue-heavy scenes which define the rest of the movie. Contained in this scene is one of the more jarring visuals, specifically a rabbit being shot and killed. As the viewer uncomfortably watches the rabbit twitch as it slowly dies, it leaves a mental image that resurfaces with the shooting of André Jurieu. The symbolism of the rabbit dying is one of the many examples of subtle foreshadowing that occur throughout the movie. In one aspect, we see the loss of relative innocence in a senseless killing, as Jurieu parishes as a result of being mistaken for Octave. As Octave is played by Renoir, the film’s director, there are many instances in which Octave eerily foreshadows events that later occur in the film, fortifying his character’s reputation as “a dangerous poet”. It’s fitting that later in the film, after warning guests during the hunt scene about missing the wrong shot, that he avoids his own death by way of Schumacher missing his shot, and shooting the wrong person, Jurieu.
ReplyDeleteThe most famous scene from The Rules of the Game is the hunt scene because it is very symbolic and unique from not only other scenes in this movie, but also in other movies of its time. Its symbolism is so striking because of the time period that this movie was made. Throughout the whole movie, there were many subtle hints given to the audience that this was a movie about politics and the impending war, but the hunt scene really took the symbolism and foreshadowing over the top. The last shot in the hunt scene is a shot of a rabbit lying on the ground, dying after it was shot by one of the hunters. The rabbit was said to symbolize Andre, who was a character in the movie that was supposed to be the hero, but ended up getting shot and dying at the end of the movie. This shot of the rabbit was so striking not only because of the symbolism that was attached to it, but also due to the way it was filmed. The hunt scene was different from any other scene filmed in the movie because it had shorter takes and much more cuts. The average length of a take in The Rules of the Game was about 18-22 seconds, but the takes in the hunt scene lasted about 3 seconds each. All of these short takes were combined to make a scene that lasted about 4-5 minutes and showed the evolution of a hunt, in which the animals were flushed out of the woods and then killed in a clearing.
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