The Earrings of Madame de… @ Amazon
Max Ophüls‘ penultimate film is perhaps his masterpiece. 1953’s The Earrings of Madame de… has aged well, and its gorgeous, elegant camera work is still a major influence on directors today.
This is a romantic tale of lust, fidelity and intrigue, centered around a pair of earrings which the beautiful Madame Louise (Danielle Darrieux) has pawned to pay a debt. Cornered by her husband, she claims the earrings as stolen, which sets into motion a chain of events that play out in casinos, hotels and ballrooms from Vienna to Constantinople — all sumptuously shot by Ophüls.
In September, The Earrings of Madame de… will be available from the Criterion Collection (#445), and you can preorder it now.
For further reading, here are some extended reviews at Metro Times Detroit, Roger Ebert and Slant Magazine
I’ve been wanting to see this movie for ages - it’s probably my #1 to-see film, and I’m thrilled for the upcoming Criterion release, which I’ll be preordering in the next month or so.
Pauline Kael wrote a great review of this movie.
“A shot that does not call for tracks/
Is agony for poor dear Max/
Who, seperated from his dolly/
Is wrapped in deepest melancholy.” -James Mason