[French Cancan, the] story of some legendary show people and of the great show they put on, has been well told, but the overwhelming impression left by this picture is of a perfect, an enchanted evocation of the very spirit of showmanship. In La Grande Illusion and La Règle du Jeu, in The Southerner and The River, Jean Renoir, magnificently at his best, developed large themes. With French Cancan he has renewed his style, creating a masterpiece on a light theme, in which his wise and humorous perception is combined with new brilliance and charm. A charm that is very personal, for the inspiration of this film seems to be the fascinating charm for him of show folk and their world. And how marvellously he has caught it!…

[In French Cancan,] Jean Renoir has achieved a wonderful blend of stylisation and reality, of poetic expression and robust...