The Woman on the Beach

Directed by Jean Renoir, The Woman on the Beach details the complications that ensue after a traumatized soldier (Robert Ryan’s Scott) finds himself falling for the enigmatic wife (Joan Bennett’s Peggy) of a blind painter (Charles Bickford’s Tod). It’s a reasonable-enough premise that’s employed to predominantly underwhelming and lackluster effect by Renoir, as the filmmaker, armed with his and Frank Davis’ screenplay, delivers a terminally sluggish endeavor that never becomes even remotely as compelling or immersive as one might’ve anticipated – with the arms-length vibe perpetuated by an opening stretch devoid of compelling attributes. And although Renoir’s atmospheric visuals periodically elevate the viewer’s waning interest, as does the inclusion of a few admittedly engaging sequences (eg Scott takes Tod for a walk by the cliff’s edge, Scott and Tod embark on a perilous fishing excursion, etc), The Woman on the Beach, with its far-from-spellbinding love-triangle narrative, remains hopelessly uninvolving and egregiously melodramatic for the duration of its short-yet-not-short-enough running time – which does, in the end, cement its place as a serious disappointment from Renoir.

** out of ****