---
title: "Louisiana Story: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/louisiana-story/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/louisiana-story"
critics_score: 73
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Louisiana Story (1948): what the critics said

Critics' score 73 from 7 reviews: 4 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative.

## The AV Club — Scott Tobias

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2003. 

Tobias presents the film as a poetic, gently humorous work that complicates Flaherty’s legacy as a documentarian. He singles out the opening canoe sequence and its lyrical score for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/louisiana-story-dvd-1798198573)

## The New Yorker

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the film fascinating and luminous despite its awkwardness and dated industrial mythology. They single out Virgil Thomson’s score and its seductive interplay with Flaherty’s bayou imagery for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/louisiana-story-2)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1947. 

The review is positive, praising the film’s vivid atmosphere and superlative photography. It also highlights the slender story’s appeal and moments of agonizing suspense.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1947/film/reviews/louisiana-story-1200415818/)

## Empire — David Parkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 April 2006. 

Parkinson gives the film a positive verdict, calling it a prime example of American neo-realism. He especially praises Helen von Dongen’s editing and Virgil Thomson’s evocative score.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/louisiana-story-review/)

## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 1948. 

The available page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no readable detail about what the critic praised or criticized.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1948/09/29/archives/luisiana-story-a-flaherty-film-about-a-boy-in-the-bayou-country-at.html)

## Time Out — DC

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 

The available page identifies this as a film review, but provides no review text from which to determine the critic’s verdict. Its metadata mentions Standard Oil’s sponsorship, but offers no specific praise or criticism.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/louisiana-story)

## Radio Times — Allen Eyles

Rating 3/5. 

Eyles regards the film as a simple but affecting story, while noting its sparse dialogue and limited action. He singles out Virgil Thomson’s score and criticizes the wholly favourable portrayal of oil drillers.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-k6lxed/louisiana-story/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/louisiana-story.md