India Synopsis
“Beauty… Mystery… Delightful Humor…”
Director Jean Renoir’s entrancing first color feature—shot entirely on location in India—is a visual tour de force. Based on the novel by Rumer Godden, the film eloquently contrasts the growing pains of three young women with the immutability of the Bengal river around which their daily lives unfold. Enriched by Renoir’s subtle understanding and appreciation for India and its people, The River gracefully explores the fragile connections between transitory emotions and everlasting creation.
Titles With Overlapping Themes
Films and series that share thematic tags with The River. Number on each card indicates how many keywords overlap.
The 1950s India Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1950s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when The River premiered. 12 total titles in this decade from India.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #290 of 1,983 India films indexed here (85th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is +0.9 points above the India average of 6.4/10.
Among India Drama productions specifically: #214 of 1,132 (top 19%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | India |
|---|---|
| All Production Countries | France, India, United States of America |
| Original Language | En |
| Spoken Languages | English, Bengali |
| Production Companies | Oriental International Films |
| Runtime | 1h 39m |
| Release Date | September 10, 1951 |
| IMDb | tt0043972 |