Le Bled
The Boondocks
1929 · France · 104 min
- Director
- Jean Renoir
- Screenplay
- Henry Dupuy-Mazuel
Cast
What it is about
Le Bled is a 1929 French silent adventure film set in the interior of Algeria. It follows a group of European characters, among them the Duvernet family and Pierre Hoffer, alongside local figures such as Zoubir, in a rural frontier setting where settlers and Algerians share the same land.
How it was made
Directed by Jean Renoir from a screenplay by Henry Dupuy-Mazuel, the film was shot at the Joinville Studios in Paris and on location in French Algeria, around Biskra, Boufarik and Staouéli. William Aguet designed the sets. It was made to mark the hundredth anniversary of the French conquest of Algeria, which began in 1830. The title refers to a phrase used for the Algerian interior. The cast includes Jackie Monnier, Enrique Rivero and Alexandre Arquillière, and Jacques Becker appears in a minor role as an farm labourer.
Reception and legacy
The sources consulted do not detail its critical reception or any awards, so its reception cannot be described precisely. Its historical interest lies in being a late-1920s French silent film tied to a colonial anniversary, and in marking an early stage in Renoir's career as a director.
Trivia
Shooting in two locations
Part of the shoot took place at the Joinville Studios in Paris, and part on location in French Algeria, in places such as Biskra, Boufarik and Staouéli.
Jacques Becker in the cast
The future director Jacques Becker appears in a small role as a farm labourer, one of his earliest screen appearances.
More films by Jean Renoir
The Grand Illusion
The Rules of the Game
This Land Is Mine
The Southerner
The Human Beast
The RiverOriginal Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.