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Max Ophüls’s films give you the idea that the director seems to be very fond of both the joy and pain of falling in love. The couples in his films are often intensely tangled in their love affairs and happily showered by the bliss of yearning for each other. Yet in most of his films, the couple are also tortured by the pain of being set apart. The Earrings of Madame de… is arguably Ophüls’s best romantic tragedy and it showcases the German-French virtuoso’s skills and style at the pinnacle of his career.
At the beginning of this carousel of passion, Louise sells her least favorite pair of diamond earrings to a jeweler behind her husband’s back in order to settle a personal debt. While she is at the opera house, she lies to her husband André, who is a wealthy general, about losing the same earrings. The general then uses his connections to look for the “lost” earrings and the scared jeweler shows up at his office the next day. After re-purchasing the earrings from the merchant, the general gives them to his mistress as a farewell gift. The mistress, who happens to gamble all her cash away in Constantinople, ends up selling the exquisite earrings to a local. The earrings’ next buyer is Baron Farbrizio Donati, an Italian diplomat who travels from Constantinople to France. In a cleverly staged scene at a train station, Donati falls in love at first sight with Louise but ultimately misses the chance to talk her as they only manage to share a stare at each other.
The chain-of-events in the ownership of the diamond earrings turns out to be an elaborate setup for the film’s romantic centerpiece. When Donati finally gets to meet Louise again, their courtship begins in the ballrooms of the aristocrats. André, who is confident and usually tolerates his wife’s suitors, warns Donati that his wife is an incorrigible flirt who has dashed the hopes of plenty of men. On the dance floor, Louise and Donati engage in a series of flirtatious conversations and it does not take very long for Louise to fall for the charming diplomat, who is a mirror opposite of her military husband. André soon finds out his wife’s little affair is beyond playful this time and orders her to stay away from Donati by sending her on a faraway vacation. Not knowing when will he see Louise again, Donati gives her the diamond earrings from Constantinople—the exact same ones which Louise sold away.
The story does not end here but it would be a crime for this review to give away such a well-written story. The brilliant use of the earrings as a plot device embellishes the complexity of Louise’s desire. With loads of accessories to spare, Louise cannot wait to sell her earrings at the beginning of the film. After a few changes of hand and a change of heart, the very same pair of jewelry has transformed into a gift of love that Louise cannot live without. The plot device elevates an ordinary and melodramatic love triangle to an intriguing study on passion and desire.
Ophüls’s carefully staged shots make The Earrings of Madame de… a feast for the eyes. Cinematographer Christian Matras’ camera glides through the ballroom smoothly as Louise and Donati dance gracefully and sensually across the dance floor. The tracking shot should not take all the credit though, as the film’s lavish set, built with detail and precision, provides a wholesome look into the characters’ surroundings while the panning camera gives the viewer a panoramic view of the entire scene. Very few filmmakers in history can match Ophüls’s ability to capture his subjects with such innovative camera movements and exhilarating tracking shots.
The Earrings of Madame de… cannot be completed without the excellent peformance by its cast. Charles Boyer portrayed Louise’s husband André as an emotionally distant military man who never articulates his pain for his wife’s affair explicitly. On the other end of the spectrum, Donati, played by famed Italian filmmaker Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves), seems like the tender and charming lover that André can never be. At first glance, Louise has the appearance of a superficial upper class woman that few could relate to. But Danielle Darrieux’s Louise is not only trapped by her status as a general’s wife, but also by her status as a woman during that time period. Her otherwise innocent flirtatious front hints at the fact that sexuality is her only trump card within the male-dominant aristocracy. Ophüls’s depiction of and interest in female subjects is way ahead of his time.
As expected, Criterion Collection does a wonderful job of restoring the 1953 film to pristine condition. The best part of the DVD package is the 70-page booklet featuring an essay by a film critic, an excerpt from a book by the costume designer and the source novel by Louise de Vilmorin. The introduction by filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) on the DVD will hopefully spark the interest of a new generation of American audience. The audio commentary provides a feminist perspective but the interview featuring source writer de Vilmorin’s bashing of the film is perhaps the most interesting supplement.
The Earrings of Madame de… will be released on DVD on September 16.
(Article from Issue No.7, September 2008)
Max Ophüls’s films give you the idea that the director seems to be very fond of both the joy and pain of falling in love. The couples in his films are often intensely tangled in their love affairs and happily showered by the bliss of yearning for each other. Yet in most of his films, the couple are also tortured by the pain of being set apart. The Earrings of Madame de… is arguably Ophüls’s best romantic tragedy and it showcases the German-French virtuoso’s skills and style at the pinnacle of his career.
At the beginning of this carousel of passion, Louise sells her least favorite pair of diamond earrings to a jeweler behind her husband’s back in order to settle a personal debt. While she is at the opera house, she lies to her husband André, who is a wealthy general, about losing the same earrings. The general then uses his connections to look for the “lost” earrings and the scared jeweler shows up at his office the next day. After re-purchasing the earrings from the merchant, the general gives them to his mistress as a farewell gift. The mistress, who happens to gamble all her cash away in Constantinople, ends up selling the exquisite earrings to a local. The earrings’ next buyer is Baron Farbrizio Donati, an Italian diplomat who travels from Constantinople to France. In a cleverly staged scene at a train station, Donati falls in love at first sight with Louise but ultimately misses the chance to talk her as they only manage to share a stare at each other.
The chain-of-events in the ownership of the diamond earrings turns out to be an elaborate setup for the film’s romantic centerpiece. When Donati finally gets to meet Louise again, their courtship begins in the ballrooms of the aristocrats. André, who is confident and usually tolerates his wife’s suitors, warns Donati that his wife is an incorrigible flirt who has dashed the hopes of plenty of men. On the dance floor, Louise and Donati engage in a series of flirtatious conversations and it does not take very long for Louise to fall for the charming diplomat, who is a mirror opposite of her military husband. André soon finds out his wife’s little affair is beyond playful this time and orders her to stay away from Donati by sending her on a faraway vacation. Not knowing when will he see Louise again, Donati gives her the diamond earrings from Constantinople—the exact same ones which Louise sold away.
The story does not end here but it would be a crime for this review to give away such a well-written story. The brilliant use of the earrings as a plot device embellishes the complexity of Louise’s desire. With loads of accessories to spare, Louise cannot wait to sell her earrings at the beginning of the film. After a few changes of hand and a change of heart, the very same pair of jewelry has transformed into a gift of love that Louise cannot live without. The plot device elevates an ordinary and melodramatic love triangle to an intriguing study on passion and desire.
Ophüls’s carefully staged shots make The Earrings of Madame de… a feast for the eyes. Cinematographer Christian Matras’ camera glides through the ballroom smoothly as Louise and Donati dance gracefully and sensually across the dance floor. The tracking shot should not take all the credit though, as the film’s lavish set, built with detail and precision, provides a wholesome look into the characters’ surroundings while the panning camera gives the viewer a panoramic view of the entire scene. Very few filmmakers in history can match Ophüls’s ability to capture his subjects with such innovative camera movements and exhilarating tracking shots.
The Earrings of Madame de… cannot be completed without the excellent peformance by its cast. Charles Boyer portrayed Louise’s husband André as an emotionally distant military man who never articulates his pain for his wife’s affair explicitly. On the other end of the spectrum, Donati, played by famed Italian filmmaker Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves), seems like the tender and charming lover that André can never be. At first glance, Louise has the appearance of a superficial upper class woman that few could relate to. But Danielle Darrieux’s Louise is not only trapped by her status as a general’s wife, but also by her status as a woman during that time period. Her otherwise innocent flirtatious front hints at the fact that sexuality is her only trump card within the male-dominant aristocracy. Ophüls’s depiction of and interest in female subjects is way ahead of his time.
As expected, Criterion Collection does a wonderful job of restoring the 1953 film to pristine condition. The best part of the DVD package is the 70-page booklet featuring an essay by a film critic, an excerpt from a book by the costume designer and the source novel by Louise de Vilmorin. The introduction by filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) on the DVD will hopefully spark the interest of a new generation of American audience. The audio commentary provides a feminist perspective but the interview featuring source writer de Vilmorin’s bashing of the film is perhaps the most interesting supplement.
The Earrings of Madame de… will be released on DVD on September 16.
(Article from Issue No.7, September 2008)
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