The Golden Coach

The first film in what came to be seen as a trilogy (completed by French Cancan and Eléna et les Hommes) celebrating Renoir's continuing love affair with the theatre. Magnani plays the lead actress in a troupe of commedia dell'arte players in 18th century Peru. The story (derived from Prosper Mérimée) revolves around her pursuit by three different lovers. Both story and characterisations are remarkably silly, in fact, but Renoir makes gold of the interaction between theatre and life, the distinction between them continually shifting with the plot. Exquisitely shot by Claude Renoir, this is one of the great colour films.