Boudu (Michel Simon) is a no good tramp who lives alone, save for his dog, in a park in Paris. jumps into the Seine. Though Boudu doesn't have a penny to his name or any real material goods to call his own, he does have the benefit of being able to do whatever he wants with his time whenever he wants. He's not held down by a job of by what he should and shouldn't do according to society and as such, he's a free spirit. The only thing that Boudu cares about is his canine companion who, unfortunately for him, goes missing one day. Boudu approaches a police officer to help him find his old pooch but the cop ignores him. To add insult to injury, Boudu sees the same police officer rush to the aid of a pretty young woman who has also lost her dog and needs some help finding him.

In a fit of depression, Boudu begins to wander around the vast city of Paris, and the more he walks the further into the belly of the city he goes. He ends up at the side of the river and, after wandering through the shops and places where he feels especially out of place, he decides he's had enough of it and he jumps off of the bridge into the waters below to what he hopes will be his end. At this point, Mr. Lestingois (Charles Granvos), a wealthy book seller who has set up shop along the riverside, sees Boudu's suicide attempt and he jumps in after him and, as the title implies, saves Boudu from drowning. Lestingois usually spends his free time watching girls along the riverside out of his telescope and it's by chance that he sees Boudu on this fateful day but being a decent man he does his civic duty and saves the pour sap.

Lestingois is kind enough to bring Boudu into his home and help him recover and once he does, he and his wife and their pretty housekeeper (with whom the lusty Lestingois is having an affair behind his wife's back) decide to clean the bum up a bit and remake him in their own image. The clean him up as best they can but things don't go as planned for them. Boudu comes from a different place then they do. He doesn't care if he's got fine clothes or if he's cleanly shaven. He's not part of the bourgeois and he doesn't care for their world. He could care less about material possessions despite the comforts he takes from Lestingois' home. He hits on the women in the home and proves to be a thorn in the side of Lestingois' business. He's also extremely ungrateful for the charity which he has received. In fact, his disregard for the social mores that they hold so dear in their eyes paints him out as a pig or a lesser animal. He has no table manners, he talks at inopportune moments, and he has a tendency to invade people's personal space. Boudu is just doing what comes to him naturally though, and he's starting to feel more and more like he's in a cage rather than being accepted into upper class society.

One of numerous examples of the distinction that Renoir likes to make in his work between the upper and lower classes of French society, Boudu – Saved From Drowning is an excellent piece of satirical comedy that combines some genuine laughs with a poignant social message. Renoir is able to show both sides of the case in the film and while when the film finishes up it's Boudu and not Lestingois who appears to be the victor, he doesn't paint Lestingois as a bad man, merely a flawed one like the rest of us who maybe indulges in a vice or two he'd be better off ignoring for the sake of his marriage.

Directed and photography with no small amount of artistic flair, this is a fine looking film in terms of composition and cinematography but as good as it looks, the real reason to watch the movie is Michel Simon's masterfully comedic performance. While some of the comedy might seem dated to viewers used to generic Hollywood laugh fests, Simon proves to be quite capable of handling the physical side of his role as well as any modern day Jim Carey or Will Ferrell (An odd comparison? Maybe but when you see some of the facial expressions he pulls off it's not an invalid one). He plays the rambunctious sloppy miscreant with such enthusiasm and gusto that it's hard not to feel for the guy as his story progresses. Likewise, Granvos does a fine job playing Boudu's opposite, the slick, well mannered and dapper looking Lestingois. The two leads play of off one another's strong points very well and very naturally and while yes, much of the comedy is obviously scripted and doesn't feel as natural as it might there is definitely a chemistry between the two performers that goes a good long way towards making the film the success that is is. The end result is a fantastic and funny look at the differences between the rich and the poor and the trappings that both classes find themselves in. Renoir knew that there was more to life than material possessions and money, and this film gives us a fine example of how and why that's true.

Video:

Criterion have done a very nice job of cleaning up their 1.33.1 fullframe transfer, which presents the film in its original aspect ratio. The black and white image is quite strong and while certain scenes lack the depth you'd expect to see in more modern fair, the overall image quality is quite strong. Contrast levels are well balanced and the black levels stay pretty strong throughout. There is some moderate grain and some noticeable print damage present on the image but it isn't anything that should prove to be irritating as long as your expectation are kept in check. Overall there's a pretty revealing level of clarity to the transfer and while certain scenes are definitely on the softer side, it is entirely possible (and even very likely) that this is a problem with the print used for the transfer and not a fault of the transfer itself.