I haven't seen the film, but it has the same title as one of Manet's most famous paintings... does anyone know if there's a connection?
It would be "fun" for a painter's son to make a movie over another painter's work!
"In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!"
Of course the is an explicit reference. Can you imagine a painter's son doing a movie whoose title is the same as a painting made by someone who knew his father not thinking aout this painting? But I thinks that's just a kind of ;) (but a big one).
Besides the fact both are about a "deleuner sur l'herbe," there is different very impressionnist plans on the grass, but I consider this movie is not an illustration, just an adapatation to other times, other ways of life.
Not sure about the connection to Manet's painting, but much of the wonderful imagery in this film does seem inspired by Renoir's father Auguste's art. The film has finally found a DVD release (Region 2, as part of a Renoir box set); there's a documentary on the DVD that reveals much of the film was shot around Jean Renoir's childhood family home; obviously, Auguste Renoir would have done a lot of painting there, so the connection is deliberate.
This is a film that haunted me for decades after taping a very washed-out print from TV in the early 80s. Happily, the DVD print is a lot richer in colour (though not perfect), so Renoir's visual poetry is much more enjoyable. I'm thrilled to have rediscovered this gem!