Renoir and the writers' styles complement each other throughout, though in the final act one can see certain elements of the director's tonal control get lost in translation... but The Southerner cannot quite handle the overlapping absurd comedy, hopeful relief, and cruel caprice that define the final act, perhaps the result of Renoir's graceful observation clashing with the stiff theatricality of 1940s Hollywood acting.
Jake Cole
February 9, 2016