Customer Reviews

Earrings of Madame de...

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Anyone could see that Louise was an attractive but frivolous woman. Ensnared on her own volition in a loveless marriage to an aristocrat general, who showers her with fine furs and jewelry, and abides her petty flirtations whilst always maintaining the decorum proper for a military nobleman in high society, Louise too, adheres to the dictates and protocol demanded of a nobleman's wife in the elaborate, but meaningless and empty milieu in which she resides. Louise is a comely and innocuous creature, prone to fainting spells, whose marriage to the philandering Count is unremarkable and unmemorable. But into this very shallow, unremarkable existence, Louise will find passion, and it will complicate her life, and eventually destroy it.

MADAME de...opens with Max Ophuls' fluid camera taking Louise's viewpoint as it scans her jewelry cases, and wardrobe, searching for something of considerable value to sell. The woman has rung up a large debt, and she loathes to ask her husband for the money. Reluctantly, she decides on a pair of heart shaped diamond earrings, a wedding gift from her husband that she is not particularly fond of. The sale of those earrings sets in motion a chain of events that will lead Louise down a fateful road, where desire, misunderstanding, and deception, will culminate in tragedy. She finds love but at a drastic cost. In an Ophuls film, passionate love is a thing of beauty, the antidote to a shallow existence, the inspiration for art, and for life itself. It is also a kind of sickness that often clouds one's better judgement, causes one to neglect responsibilities and make rash, sometimes fatal decisions.

MADAME de..., Ophuls finest film, and one of the greatest ever made, is a movie that gets better with repeated viewings. It is so perfectly crafted, and there are many subtleties that can be overlooked on an initial viewing. For example, it took a second viewing for me to realize that the earrings, although carried earlier through various peregrinations by Louise, the Count, his mistress, and Donati, were not fully shown in closeup until Louise's lover, Baron Donati, gave them to her as a token of his love. Once that happens, they take on a special significance, not only for Louise, who looks on them as a surrogate for her lover, but for her husband, who now associates them with his wife's infidelity and the man who is responsible for it. The Count becomes a complicated figure who remarks at one point to Louise that their marriage is in reality, superficially superficial. He may still have feelings for her, or perhaps a mixture of love and guilt, but his wounded pride will lead to actions that will ultimately destroy any hope of reconciliation. The Count is the military man and the Baron the diplomat, but it's the Count who tries diplomacy to save the marriage and his self respect until it becomes a hopeless endeavor, while the Baron, upon learning of Louise's duplicity with the earrings, resorts to a militant obstinacy in terminating the affair. Those earrings that Louise at first wanted so desperately to sell that she prayed in church for it, eventually become something she is so desperate to possess that she sells all her furs and jewels to buy back. They represent her lover and the memory of love that she now owns, that her husband cannot touch. In the final tracking sequence of the movie, the camera will return to the same cathedral in which she at first prayed for the sale, and finally, most desperately, for the life of the Baron, and slowly pan from the statue of the saint down to those fateful earrings, given up by Louise to expiate the imagined sin of the affair, and now church property. Poignant symmetry does abound in MADAME de...

To Max Ophuls, movement is life, and elegant tracking shots are of course, a hallmark of his movies. I think they are most effectively done in this film. The aren't as pronounced or exaggerated in MADAME de..There is a musical quality to them, like the waltz theme hummed by Louise in the beginning and repeated throughout the film. A classic example of Ophuls' genius with the moving camera can be found in the legendary ballroom waltz sequence that follows Louise and the Baron. At points in the dance sequence the swirling pair dissolve and reappear in different settings, time frames, from different perspectives, and with nuances in speech and expression, that ingeniously show the deepening of their relationship. Ophuls also delights in repeatedly using things like staircases, windows, doors, candles, and mirrors to facilitate the isolation or coupling of the characters and highlight themes as the plot develops.

MADAME de... is a movie to be enjoyed and marveled at, over and over..and the cast is superb. My God, has there ever been better ensemble acting in a film than what we see here from Danielle Darrieux, Charles Boyer, and Vittorio De Sica? Ophuls does not let his actors go overboard in their performances. No screaming or shouting. The method would be anathema in an Ophuls movie. Everything is under control, but the emotions seethe underneath, and are given away by an arched eyebrow, a turn of phrase, or a longing glance. Like a Mozart composition, everything is outwardly pleasing, but inwardly aching, but unlike Mozart, with Ophuls there are seldom happy endings. There are few exclamation points but many question marks in Ophuls films and MADAME de... is no exception. Was the affair or even the marriage ever consummated? Were the 2 fatalities a fait accompli, or merely a likely possibility? Assumptions and intimations are made, not statements of fact. This is not reality, but cinema, and Ophuls constantly reminds us of it. As a subtext to the major ideas presented in MADAME de...Ophuls deftly touches upon conflicting relationships existing in turn of the century France..between the sexes, between the classes, and even between the military and diplomatic corps. Also to note in this film are the exquisite sets and costume designs. MADAME de...is a work of cinematic art that will stand the test of time.

This Criterion package includes a booklet which contains an essay by noted critic Molly Haskell, as well as the novella (quite different from the movie), written by Louise de Vilmorin, from which the film was adapted. The DVD specials include an amusing interview with an indignant Mme. de Vilmorin (who ridicules the changes made and calls the film boring), interviews with various Ophuls collaboraters, and an introduction by Paul Thomas Anderson which I didn't find very illuminating. IMO Todd Haynes, who did the intro for Criterion's release of Le Plaisir, would have done better.

What a sad, elegant film this is. The Earrings of Madame de... takes us into the fin de siecle Parisian world of the mannered rich, where the act of amorous intimacy is as much an expected social obligation as it is a personal pleasure, where a serious discussion about serious things is considered as indiscrete as loving one's spouse.

"Madame de... is a most elegant lady," we are told, "distinguished, received everywhere. She seemed destined to a delightful, untroubled existence. Doubtless nothing would have happened but for the jewels." She (Danielle Darrieux) is married to the rich and assured General Andre de... (Charles Boyer). When she realizes she has debts she cannot pay and does not want her husband to learn of, she sells a pair of diamond earrings her husband gave her the day after they were married. She tells her husband a little lie, that the earrings were stolen. The jeweler, not knowing of the little lie, soon goes to the general, assuming he will want to buy them back. He does, but rather than embarrass his wife, he gives them to a mistress he is saying farewell to as she departs for Constantinople. And there, she sells the jewels to cover her gambling debts. The jewels soon appear in the window of an elegant Constantinople jewelry store where Baron Fabrizio Donati (Vittorio De Sica), an Italian diplomat soon on his way to Paris, buys them. And since fate and convenience work in mysterious ways, Donati meets Madame de in Paris and they fall into what passes for love by their class. Donati gives the earrings to Madame de as a sign of his love, not knowing they were originally given to her by her husband. And Madame de must now tell a few more little lies. When her husband, the General, sees them, she must tell even more. From a story of amusing deceptions and brilliant social manners, the movie becomes a much darker and sadder story. Donati may be in love, but he understands the limits of their social class. Madame de may be in love, but for the first time in her life she moves beyond those limits. And the General? He may be worldly to a fault, he may even love his wife, but even he cannot accept becoming an object of smiles behind fans without taking some sort of action.

Ophuls immediately captures us with the elegance of both his camera and the dialogue, a mix of oblivious self-centeredness and matter-of-fact moral amusement. This was a time, for those who could afford it, before trophy mistresses learned to first demand gold wedding rings, before trophy wives required community property laws, prenuptial agreements and slick lawyers in custom-bought silk suits. Madame de lives in this world and thrives. Her downfall may be the result of the diamond earrings her husband gave her, but the real cause certainly is that she actually fell in love. Not just in love, either, but in love with the memory of love.

What a pleasure it is to see subtle and experienced actors as Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux and Vittorio De Sica take their roles and bring them to life in such a way that we are forced to continually readjust our feelings toward their characters. When Boyer as the General comments to his wife that "a liar should have more sangfroid," he manages without effort to show amusement, indulgence, perhaps love, but also a little distaste, all in one line reading. All three expertly show us a class of society it's more satisfying to be amused by than to take seriously, yet all three succeed in making us take their characters not only seriously, but each one with a good deal of sympathy.

Please note that the Criterion release is not scheduled until September 2008, nearly three months from now. My comments on the movie here are based on watching the Region 2 release which I have. I think so much of this film I plan to buy the Criterion release as soon as it's issued. I'll add a paragraph to these comments concerning the Criterion extras and transfer quality after I watch it.

What a sad, elegant film this is. The Earrings of Madame de... takes us into the fin de siecle Parisian world of the mannered rich, where the act of amorous intimacy is as much an expected social obligation as it is a personal pleasure, where a serious discussion about serious things is considered as indiscrete as loving one's spouse.

"Madame de... is a most elegant lady," we are told, "distinguished, received everywhere. She seemed destined to a delightful, untroubled existence. Doubtless nothing would have happened but for the jewels." She (Danielle Darrieux) is married to the rich and assured General Andre de... (Charles Boyer). When she realizes she has debts she cannot pay and does not want her husband to learn of, she sells a pair of diamond earrings her husband gave her the day after they were married. She tells her husband a little lie, that the earrings were stolen. The jeweler, not knowing of the little lie, soon goes to the general, assuming he will want to buy them back. He does, but rather than embarrass his wife, he gives them to a mistress he is saying farewell to as she departs for Constantinople. And there, she sells the jewels to cover her gambling debts. The jewels soon appear in the window of an elegant Constantinople jewelry store where Baron Fabrizio Donati (Vittorio De Sica), an Italian diplomat soon on his way to Paris, buys them. And since fate and convenience work in mysterious ways, Donati meets Madame de in Paris and they fall into what passes for love by their class. Donati gives the earrings to Madame de as a sign of his love, not knowing they were originally given to her by her husband. And Madame de must now tell a few more little lies. When her husband, the General, sees them, she must tell even more. From a story of amusing deceptions and brilliant social manners, the movie becomes a much darker and sadder story. Donati may be in love, but he understands the limits of their social class. Madame de may be in love, but for the first time in her life she moves beyond those limits. And the General? He may be worldly to a fault, he may even love his wife, but even he cannot accept becoming an object of smiles behind fans without taking some sort of action.

Ophuls immediately captures us with the elegance of both his camera and the dialogue, a mix of oblivious self-centeredness and matter-of-fact moral amusement. This was a time, for those who could afford it, before trophy mistresses learned to first demand gold wedding rings, before trophy wives required community property laws, prenuptial agreements and slick lawyers in custom-bought silk suits. Madame de lives in this world and thrives. Her downfall may be the result of the diamond earrings her husband gave her, but it certainly is that she actually fell in love. Not just in love, either, but in love with the memory of love.

What a pleasure it is to see subtle and experienced actors as Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux and Vittorio De Sica take their roles and bring them to life in such a way that we are forced to continually readjust our feelings toward their characters. When Boyer as the General comments to his wife that "a liar should have more sangfroid," he manages without effort to show amusement, indulgence, perhaps love, but also a little distaste, all in one line reading. All three expertly show us a class of society it's more satisfying to be amused by than to take seriously, yet all three succeed in making us take their characters not only seriously, but each one with a good deal of sympathy.

The Region Two DVD from Second Sight has a fine black-and-white transfer. There are two significant extras. The first is "Working with Max Ophuls." The second is a film essay on Ophuls by Tag Gallagher, identified as a film historian. It begins with this quote by Ophuls, "The camera exists to create a new art -- to show what can't be seen elsewhere, neither in theater nor in life." The essay shows us how Ophuls achieved this, and should be must viewing by any film student. Based on the reported quality of the VHS tapes of the movie, it sounds like it would be better to buy an all-region DVD player and then purchase the Region Two DVD.

Let me start off like this....bear with me...

I detest Hollywood chick flicks. They are simplistic, childish, silly, and completely unrealistic in their depiction of so-called romance. The term "romantic comedy" makes me nauseaous. Many friends and family members have come under the erroneous impression that I am not a romantic. Far from it. I prefer my romance of the old school, a deep, unshakeable romance, those feelings that if you're open to them, you cannot deny them at all. A love that comes with maturity, with passion and intelligence, one that is so deep, so knowing, so consuming, so happy yet sad at the same time. Many try and find this love in a superficial, uncaring world, and many are destroyed by it, others find it and die for it, yet they are the lucky ones.

I see this in the films of Max Ophuls.

The Earrings of Madame de... is one of Ophuls's greatest works. It's a magnificent film of deep style and even deeper substance, something that is rarely achieved by any filmmaker. Ophuls's mise en scene, with his incredibly camera work (especially for its time, before the invention of steadicams), beautiful performances, wonderful dialogue, and deep, deep wisdom about how men and women try and destroy each other, yet, must have one another as well. This film has a small plot thread about a set of earrings that set off a chain of events that spiral out of control and consume the protagonists, and that leads the film to its stunning, unforgettable conclusion.

There's so much to Ophuls's films that it's almost impossible to do them justice in writing about them. Criterion has released this one and La Ronde, another magnificent work, so if you are a real romantic (not a Hollywood one), you must witness these films. They may change your life.

Even without the great performances of Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux as General de.... and his wife, even without the superlative use of camera movement and mise-en-scene, this famous 1953 Max Ophuls melodrama would be worth seeing just for its spectacular sets and costumes of the Parisian Belle Epoque (although based on a novella by Louise Leveque de Vilmorin, the setting is the same beau monde as in Proust's fiction). The wealthy spoiled beautiful wife of a titled French general, the title heroine (Darrieux) pawns the diamond earrings her husband gave her as a wedding present; the earrings change hands again and again, acquiring different meanings altogether as they circulate, and come back several times into the hands of Madame de...; they represent the only stability in her world of evanescent pleasures and loyalties and values. As the earrings travel we see Madame de... grow up and become first the celebrant--and then the victim--of her own mature passion for a titled Italian diplomat (the film director Vittorio de Sica). Few actors could have carried off this metamorphosis as believably and as poignantly as Darrieux, who genuinely makes us feel for the unfaithful heroine after her lover leaves her for insulting his honor; Boyer, as her well-meaning husband (who is slow to wrath but who can arrive at it eventually) is equally fine. As with most Ophuls films, it begins with an unforgettable sequence (a lengthy POV shot of Madame de... moving in and among her beautiful wardrobe, deciding which among her opulent effects to pawn) that is equaled by other effortless shots that show his incredible mastery of camera movement. The adjoining bedrooms and boudoirs of Boyer's and Darrieux's form one of the most gorgeous sets ever devised for a film; the way the camera moves through it is almost heartstoppingly beautiful.

This is one of the most lovely, classic French films ever made. Beautifully filmed and wonderful performances by all at the actors, especially Danielle Darrieux.

Despite finishing the film at nearly midnight and with work looming just hours ahead in the morning, an impromptu discussion was started and we ended up watching much of the film again with the commentary. Now just be forewarned, this film is so masterfully created and so richly complex, that one can't really help but either discuss it or go back and revisit certain scenes.

Ophuls is masterful at modifying and bringing this short story to life. Though much has been rewritten and revised from the short story, the heart of the story carries over to the film. But where the story leaves the reader satisfied, the film leaves the viewer awed.

To sum the film up without any spoilers: Madame de ... (you never hear her name, but that's unimportant) goes to the local jeweler to pawn off a pair of earrings she received from her husband, the General, on their wedding day. She then feigns as though she lost them (so her husband wouldn't find out) and considers the matter closed. The jeweler, being friendly to the family, sells the earrings back to the General. He figures that Madame de did not care for them, so he gives them to his lover as she departs for Africa. His lover then loses the earrings gambling and they are purchased by Donati, an Italian aristocrat. Donati comes back to Paris, sees Madame de, is smitten, starts a romantic affair and then gifts her the earrings. This is where the film gets interesting.

Now you might think that all of this sounds a little contrived, but it does not come off that way. Donati is played wonderfully by Vittorio de Sica (the famous Italian director no less), but the real treat is Danielle Darrieux's portrayal of Madame de. She captures each and ever nuance of her character so beautifully. Charles Boyer gives an amazing performance as the General.

The sets are marvelous, and very opulent, with the exception of the beach scene and a later outdoor scene. That later outdoor scene near the end features de Sica in one of my all time favorite frames in cinema. But needless to say, Ophuls is a master and it shows.

The only issue I might have is with some of the commentary. The two ladies are very good at dissecting the film, and I agree with the one lady who feels that Donati and Madame de never actually had physical relations. I believe that is why the earrings became such a center of focus for her love and desire after Donati gifted them to her. But the commentary does have a VERY feminist slant and they really bash the General quite a bit, though I think he was the more innocent party; he didn't appear to be 'in love' with his mistress, which was often the case with aristocrats in that era. He didn't seem to 'break the rules' by actually falling in love like Donati and Madame de did.

Without spoiling anything, the climax was beautiful. So wonderfully shot, so moving, so tragic. It's a love story that won't go out of style anytime soon. If you are a fan of auteur directors or classic foreign cinema, then this is a must see. Even if this is the first classic French film one sees, one would have to be a stone not to be moved by this complex, touching, and sad tale. It's in my top 5 classic French films for sure!

PS! Criterion does their normal bang up job on the restoration and transfer. It's amazing what they can do with old films. And the translation is very nice, and the subtitles easy to read. Win win win.

Although I can add little to the agreeable reviews of this magnificent film, perhaps I can save some Amazon patrons the time I spent in finding a soundtrack CD containing three or four of the film's beautifully haunting waltz compositions.

Just search Amazon for the Georges Van Parys (et la cinema) soundtrack. (Georges Van Parys and Oscar Straus were the main composers for this film.) ENJOY!

This is Max Ophuls at the height of his powers. THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE... shows his fluid long-take style at its most mature and in perfect service of the themes of the film.

Criterion has done a wonderful job with the transfer and the extras are marvelous. The printed materials are excellent as well.

It really doesn't get any better than this!

One of cinema's greatest masters, Max Ophuls. A brilliant screenplay, equal parts romance, humor, cynicism and tragedy. Career performances from Darrieux, de Sica and Boyer. A film that's been a staple of all-time greatest movie lists since its initial release. The usual deluxe Criterion transfer and goodie-stuffed package (thanks, Criterion, for including the novella this movie's based on -- been trying to track it down for years!) For my money, the happiest DVD of the year. Essential.