Le tournoi

For many years this rare, silent Renoir was considered lost, except for an abbreviated 40-minute print that could only have provided a tantalizing hint of the splendor of the original feature. The setting is the medieval French city of Carcassonne, where lords and ladies have gathered for a friendly tournament sponsored by Catherine de' Medici to unite feuding Protestants and Catholics under the common banner of France. But never mind the 16th century history lesson; enjoy it as an epic romance of chivalry and courtly manners, with rival knights De Rogier (in white armour, of course) and the despicable De Baynes competing for the hand of a beautiful young maiden. Agile camera-work and painterly lighting effects lend momentum to a drama which otherwise has a tendency to become bogged down in narrative exposition and meticulous period detail, up until the stirring climactic joust.