"Jean Renoir was unable to complete this filim shortly after the second World War, while Renoir was in the U.S.A.... ..other hands gathered together the footage that existed  and respectfully assembled it in the form he intended" "One summer Sunday in 1860, Monsieur Dufour, Parisian ironmonger.." "...borrowed a milk cart and set off to commune with nature accompanied by wife, mother-in-law, daughter and intended son-in-law" "Any fish?" "Maybe there is, maybe there ain't, you must know how to catch them" "This is just the place" "We can eat at that little restaurant, do you agree, Madame Dufour?" "We'll make our way round to it" "So shady and cool" "With swings too" "What fish we'll catch!" "We'll have a real feast mark my words" ""Restaurant Poulain, fish dishes a speciality parties catered for, swings, luncheon 2Fr 50"" "Now just you stop that Monsieur Dufour!" "Any fishing rods?" "Don't you lend out fishing rods here?" "Fishermen bring their own" "Let's go somewhere else" "Here I am and here I stay" "Quite right, my dear." "we'll eat here" "Send your master to me" "Are you happy now you're here, grandmother?" "We'll have a good lunch" "Oh no I'm hungry" "Henriette we'll put the cart in the shade, she can get off there" "They're from a dairy" "Yes it's a milk cart, a whole family of milkmen" "Let's pack up and go. lf only there were some women" "There are three" "They want lunch, Monsieur Poulain" "All right but first here's your cold water, Monsieur Henri" "Shall I fry the fish you caught this morning?" "I'm fed up with fish" "They taste of oil nowadays" " l'll feed them to the cats." " Feed them to the Parisians" "That's a good idea" "The customers are waiting Monsieur Poulain" "They'll want a picnic, Parisians always do." "There's no peace nowadays lt's a shame." "This was a delightful spot, conveniently close to Paris" "Poulain wouldn't mind if we swam in our drawers" " What about the gamekeeper?" " He's our friend, too" "Parisians are like microbes. admit one and you have a colony in a week" " What, shall we do today?" " Escape Row away up river" "They'll be gone when we return" "Rowing's no fun in this heat" "You're hopeless at mixing pastis" "Let's admire the view" "Your father was very clever to find this spot" " Could we have fried fish?" " l was about to suggest it" "How lucky we are!" "You expect fish here I'd rather catch my own" "We'll have fish, rabbit saute, salad and dessert" "Two litres of white wine and some Bordeaux" " Can we have a picnic?" " Of course, we're in the country" "Why don't we eat here?" "It's already ordered" " We're going already, then" " No!" "I'll write it down for you" " Shall we go down to the river?" " Of course Anatole" "Don't disturb us we're very busy" "He's preoccupied, you see" "Wonderful invention, the swing" "A fraud; you see less than you imagine lf only she'd sit down, the view would be much more interesting" "I think I'll talk to them." "They'll be flattered to make our acquaintance lf they saw you coming they'd flee to their men and you'd end up with a milkmen's boating party" "Personally, that sort of affair doesn't appeal to me" "You go in for love eternal" " What do you mean?" " A year with Hortense!" " She was very beautiful" " But what a ninny I didn't ask intelligence of her" "And you'd still be with Lea if she hadn't married poor Gustave I'm a family man at heart I'm fed up with tarts, and even" "You're afraid of the pox" "No, of responsibilities." "What would you do with that girl on the swing?" "I'd invite her for a row." "We'd land somewhere to stretch our legs" "Then I'd have a little fun" "Suppose a baby lf children resulted from every bit of fun, the world would be overpopulated" "What if she fell in love with you?" "She'd have good taste" "Don't be a fool. I can't picture you in a dairy" "You'd do nothing about it, and you might ruin her life, mightn't you?" "Let's go and find your father" "She's a very nice girl" "She's a smasher. lf only she knew how to dress I've made you a tarragon omelette" "How about pig's brawn today?" "Have you seen the Parisians?" "The woman's all right" " The daughter you mean" " No, she's too skinny" "You fancy the mother?" "What a woman!" "Something to get hold of there." "Elegant, too" "You're making my mouth water I'm too busy, but if I were in your shoes..." "Listen to the old widower" "He's certainly fallen for the mother" "All right. I'm not afraid of responsibilities I'll take the girl, and the risks involved" "You can take the mother and pass a carefree afternoon" "Shall we take them separately or together?" "That sort are like herrings." "they only move in shoals" "Not so much salt, you'll be thirsty" "Could we have our picnic here?" "It's nice and shady but what about ants?" "There aren't any, but there are cherries." "Could we eat some?" "We ought to ask permission" "You'll frighten the fish." "Don't you ever think what you're doing?" "You see that place, where l'm pointing?" "Where it's deep l reckon pike lurk there, waiting to pounce on their prey" "They eat their own weight in other fish every day" "That's why they're known as freshwater shark" "And they're hard to catch, they can bite through the thickest line" "Could they bite your finger off?" "Their teeth will certainly cut to the bone" "Funny things in rivers" "Nature still guards plenty of secrets, my friend" " A pike?" " No, a chub" "Haven't you ever heard of a chub, you ignoramus?" " lt's tiny - lt's not all that small lf only we had fishing rods" "What a lovely caterpillar" "Don't touch it, you'll get a rash lt's not dirty, it eats grass only" "How amazing the country is" "Every blade of grass hides tiny, living things" "We may kill some with every step lf you worry like that, you'll get nowhere I wonder if such things are happy and sad like us" "Of course not, they're not people Anyway, they're too small" "But they are born and die like us l must say, I wonder how caterpillars have their young" "They don't have young." "That one will become a lovely butterfly" "You see some strange things" "When you were young, I mean when you were my age... did you often visit the country?" "No more than you I wonder if you felt as strange as I do today" "Strange?" "Well, you see, I feel a tremendous sort of tenderness" "..for the grass, the water, the trees" "A vague sort of yearning lt's like a catch in the throat" "It almost makes me want to cry" "Did you feel like that when you were young?" "My dear child, I still feel like that only I'm older and wiser" "Come and see!" "There are some capital boats" "Your hat!" "Leave it. we'll picnic here" "My skirt is caught, how messy the country is" "They're skiffs." "Anatole." "I know all about them" "So we're agreed to go "fishing", what method shall we use?" "Casting would be most elegant" "Live bait, dead bait or artificial lure?" "A delicate lure for females" " Where shall we fish from?" " The boat I fancy" "The mother will have to be trawled for" "I can imagine her pinning on these flowers before setting out" "Give it to me. I'll show you why I need it" "She loves me she loves me not ls it worth it?" "I'd rather just lie down and smoke" "After a quarter of an hour you'll be bored" "The wind's changed look at those clouds" "Drat these flies!" "There'll be a storm" "We'll feel better after it" " ls that a skiff?" "It's so pointed" " To help it go fast" " Would you like a trip?" " l'd be afraid" "Their speed makes them very stable I wouldn't go in one" " l'm not afraid" " You must learn to swim first" "Can you swim?" "I could, but I've forgotten, I didn't need it in trade" "What's this for?" "They're rowlocks, another word for them is dames" "Oarsmen never set out without their dames" "Yes, with a boat like that I could easily row from here to Paris in an hour" "Do you think we could hire them?" "No they're private property Anyway, the weather's changing I shouldn't be surprised if we had a squall" "A squall is a nautical term for a storm, you ignoramus" "Lunch is ready" " We should eat indoors if it's stormy" " No, picnic beneath the cherry tree" "Your daughter is right, let's have our fill of air" "As I was telling Anatole in Paris we're short of oxygen" "We'd like to picnic under the cherry tree." "May we eat the cherries?" "Tell grandmother that lunch is ready" "And bring the umbrella, in case it rains" "They've taken our place I expect they're the boaters We'll have to find somewhere else" "Yes, but where?" " By the jetty" " Too many nettles" " By the bridge?" " Yes by the bridge" " l wanted the cherry tree." " Anyway, get your hat" "Did you mislay your hat, Mademoiselle?" "You are too kind" "Did you wish to picnic?" "I warn you, the cherries aren't very good, but the place is all yours" " We're not disturbing you?" " On the contrary" "On behalf of the ladies, I accept with gratitude your generous offer" "Well, Henriette, you have your cherry tree I'm sure they are both young gentlemen" "They're certainly not tradesmen" "They've swalloed the gentle, but it's much too early to strike don't you understand anything?" "Yes, but I'm tired of your technical terms" "For a shopkeeper's daughter, that girl has style I was surprised by her bearing" "Are they the Prevert brothers?" "No, they're boaters" "Yes. I knew the Preverts when they were babies but now the eldest is going to school I think" "Yes, we'll write it down for you" "The Parisians are going to get wet" "Do you want anything else?" "How about a little stroll in the woods, Cyprien?" "Remember last year at Conflans Saint Honorine when we both got lost in the forest" "l'm sure there are ants here" "You're imagining things ln my corsage!" "Unlace me" "How aggravating he is" "Anatole stop hiccuping" "Stop hiccuping Anatole, or I'll have hysterics" "He should drink some water" "There's only wine here lf you were a man, you'd find some water" "Anatole you're ridiculous" "That came from the stomach Let's go to the kitchen" "Where are you off to now?" "To drown yourself?" "Scratch me Henriette Not there, more to the right" "Kitty!" "Now is the time to strike" "Lace me up -l can't, they're looking" "Lovely weather but unnaturally heavy as you say I think it will storm" "You don't mind the smoke?" "I'm used to it, my husband smokes like a chimney" "You did well to come here" "The fried fish was excellent I meant it was well for us, there's little company here usually" "We were overjoyed to hear that pretty Parisiennes had arrived I mean it quite seriously, Madame" "You men are all the same" "And on the swings what grace what charm!" "Wild horses would not have dragged me from the sight" "Do those lovely boats belong to you?" "How about us four going for a row?" "There are many lovely spots on the river" "I don't know if we should" "We might get caught in the rain." "And we must ask Monsieur Dufour" "The clouds have passed" "Shall I ask Father?" "These gentlemen can go with you, to explain to him" "Just a moment, please." "Henriette" "These young men are very well mannered lt seems to me that you're poaching in my waters" "You go with her to find Father, I'll get the fishing rods" "You're not so stupid my friend" "Less stupid than you think" "Do you often visit the country?" "Once a year" "l'm here every Sunday" "You're lucky" "Try to come here more often" "We haven't time for such trips." "my family is in trade" "You seem to be less worried about the responsibilities now" "You have responsibilities, some joint-enterprise?" "Yes, but we don't always agree" "Sometimes we cheat each other" "That's how it is with partners;" "Father prefers to work alone" "My hiccups have quite gone, Monsieur Dufour I told you so, water never fails" "Can Mother and I go boating with these two gentlemen?" "And you may like to try a little fishing" "Fishing rods at last!" "And here are some maggots - and some rotten cheese, chub love that" "Do pike love rotten cheese too?" "You're an ignoramus, Anatole" "Aren't we lucky, Monsieur Dufour?" "I told you we'd go home with a catch, Anatole" "Gentlemen, I don't know how to thank you" "Your kindness and generosity are truly worthy of the name gentlemen" "Well, Father?" "Can we go boating?" "Of course. I'll have no qualms if you're with these two gentlemen" "Where is the best place for fishing?" "Poulain throws his scraps by the stunted willow, so chub gather there" "And that's where we'll gather, too" "I'm hooked up" "You'll have my eye out with those rods, you fool!" "Hurry it's getting late" "Mother, Father agrees" "You must go very gently with ladies, they're delicate" "That's why we love them" "Excuse me for a moment" "How shall we arrange it?" "lt's arranged itself I'm a sport. I'll take the mother" "I'm so frightened, isn't it rather dangerous?" "I put myself in your hands eyes closed, like a child" "Never fear. I'll guard you like my life lt's a pity the boat is so narrow" "Otherwise we could sit side by side and row like lovers" "Oh, really!" "I wouldn't dare" "You look almost naked in that shirt" "Where is your shop?" "Rue des Martyrs" "That's not too built up lf they'd let you, you could visit us here, I'd meet you at the station" "Father would never agree" "That could be arranged" "Monsieur Dufour, what time should we come back?" "Whenever you like but keep quiet!" "Anatole, give me your fishing rod" "You're an ignoramus Anatole!" "I did so want to go boating I'm sure rowing is not as easy as you make it seem" "We're just gliding along." "It's so quiet here I feel it would be a sin to make a noise and break the silence" "Silence?" "The birds are making a din" "Their song is part of the silence" "Do you like the river?" "So do l. l come here often" "Wouldn't you like to get out?" "To stretch our legs" "Monsieur Henri, I'd really rather not" "Because it's late and Mother will worry I'm sure she's on her way back already" "You really want to go back?" "Very well, as you wish I think it would be best if we went back" "I'm not a bit afraid and Monsieur Rodolphe is very skilful I'm not going to turn back until we must" "Listen to that bird" "A nightingale singing to the hen lf we go quietly, we'll get very close to it" "I've never seen anything so beautiful" "It's all enclosed like a house I often come here, I call it my study" "It's in that tree" "And what is your name, Madame?" "How forward you are!" "Why do you ask?" "So that I may court you" "Try to guess I give up" "Juliette" "And I'm Romeo" "You're Rodolphe" "But now I feel more like Romeo" "Wherever did you get such ideas?" "Years passed, with Sundays as bleak as Mondays" "Anatole married Henriette, and one Sunday" "I often come here, it brings back my happiest memories and I remembert it every night" "Well dear, time for us to go"