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Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe is an odd but oddly charming entry in the Jean Renoir canon. This oddness is partly bought about by the science fiction trappings -- a setting in the future, a conflict between science and nature, etc. -- that hang upon the film and are essential to the plot, yet which somehow don't feel totally natural. This is understandable, as Renoir's films always feel as if they're set in an earlier era even when they're contemporary, and this continues to be the case in Dejeuner, despite the script's insistence that it is set in the future. Truth to tell, in Dejeuner, Renoir is not working with one of his finest screenplays; the satire is not fresh, the "ideas" are not compelling, and some of the situations are predictable. These faults limit the film, but they don't keep it from being a very diverting little romantic fable. And as part of Renoir's "Impressionist Trilogy," Dejeuner is a visual delight. Once again, Renoir immerses himself and the viewer in an orgy of color that is simply irresistible. While the use of a multi-camera technique hems the director in somewhat due to a necessary repetition in the choice of exact angles available, it does give an immediacy to the proceedings that is quite effective. Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe is not a Renoir classic, but it's immensely appealing.