Max Ophüls

  • La ronde (1950)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On Cable TV, January 2022) I’m not going to seriously pretend that the French have something unique going on when it comes to romance, but there is a long tradition of French poetic realism that remains distinctive even after decades of cinema. La Ronde is very much in that tradition, with a flowery master of ceremonies introducing ten small segments on love. As per French standards, the material is more explicit than American cinema of the same era. Poetic speech, ironic circular structure and a diversity of approaches that fits an anthology film characterize La Ronde, which is interesting even when it draws long and repeats itself. Written and directed by Max Ophüls, it’s a change of pace from the usual narrative-driven film, but very much in-line with its tradition of romantic imagination. French speakers will be blessed to understand the cadence of the material.

  • Madame de… [The Earrings of Madam de…] (1953)

    Madame de… [The Earrings of Madam de…] (1953)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On Cable TV, July 2021) A familiar story told in an off-beat fashion, Madame de… takes us to late-nineteenth-century Paris for a complex tale of a woman, her distant husband and her lover. It all takes place through the intriguing device of earrings making their way from one character to another through unlikely devices and ironic transactions. Lavishly photographed with impressive sets and some impressive costumes, it’s a romance with more than an ironic twist, with plenty of plot machinations from writer-director Max Ophüls to keep things interesting. The dialogue is often a joy to hear as it pokes and prods at the heart of the story. As a romance, it’s more performative than emotive — it’s interesting to watch, but it’s not as if we’re meant to identify with the characters. Still, Madame de… has an intricate way of telling a familiar story, with layers of complexity (visual and narrative) adding interest to something that could have been much more conventional.