Madame de...

Ophuls’ penultimate film and arguably his masterpiece, this supremely elegant meditation on doomed, obsessive romantic love paints a completely intoxicating, visually ... more >

Ophuls’ penultimate film and arguably his masterpiece, this supremely elegant meditation on doomed, obsessive romantic love paints a completely intoxicating, visually resplendent portrait of fin de siecle 18th century Paris. There is a typically subtle irony in Ophuls’ adaptation of Louise De Vilmorin’s novel about a Countess and her doomed affair with a Baron. The simple plot device of her husband’s gift of a pair of earrings which travel on a circular journey from one owner to the other as the Countess sells and attempts to regain them, serves as the platform for Ophuls to expose the vanities and infidelities of society creatures that drift elegantly through operas and ballrooms. The swirling, graceful camera movements that were this stylish director’s trademark are dovetailed beautifully with sumptuous costumes and décor to create one of cinema’s most tragic and poignant romantic dramas. CJ < less

View all 36 of Chris Jones’s reviews

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DVD Extras

• Video essay by film historian Tag Gallagher
• Working with Max Ophuls by film director Alain Jessua.

Film Details

Cast

Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux, Vittorio De Sica

Technical Details