The Golden Coach (1953)

I don't know how he does it, but Renoir is awesome. Every film I see is great, it's not even arguable. And yet, he's not even over the top about it at all. He just makes it look so easy, so effortless, that you can't help but admire his talent.

Right from the start, The Golden Coach is filled with theatrical touches, never hiding the truth for one moment, that it's a production in the truest sense. And yet, it's about the theater itself, so it's got that self-referential thing going on, too. The film itself is a celebration of all arts, especially the theater and the cinema. But, that phrase struck me the most overall, that it is, above all, a celebration.

I've always loved Anna Magnani. She's not particularly attractive, in fact, kind of old and frumpy-looking. She's loud and brash, assertive and quick to shout. She seems to be most of the things that a man (or at least this man) wouldn't want in a woman. Yet, she's still got an incredible amount of talent, and most of all, sex appeal. I don't even know what it is, but she's one of those people who lights up the screen whenever she appears. Just watching her in the film, slowly falling in love, going through a whirl of emotions, and her exhilaration from finally winning over her audience, it's great.

Yet, the picture is very adult in its frankness and its appeal. It tries to explore some very complex themes, especially relating to the theater. Many people have examined acting as a craft, and how it carries over to an artist's life off of the stage. Magnani asks, "Where does the theater end and real life begin?"