Madame de...
1953 Drama / Romance
|
Credits
|
|
|
Summary
A wealthy Countess decides to sell her earrings to pay off a small debt, leading her husband
to believe that the jewels have been lost. The Count discovers the earrings in a
jeweller’s shop and buys them back, offering them as a parting gift to his mistress.
The jewels are subsequently lost in a gambling casino in Constantinople and bought by
a diplomat, the Baron Donati. Arriving back in Paris, the Baron meets and falls
in love with the earring’s original owner, the Countess, Louise. He offers
her the jewels as an expression of his affection, but her husband takes the jewels away
and gives them to a sick niece. Angered by the Baron’s audacity, the Count challenges
him to a duel which, being an ace shot with a gun, he cannot lose. Nevertheless,
the Baron accepts the duel. Convinced that she will lose her only true love, the
Countess hastens to the duel, having surrendered the earrings at a church altar – but
she arrives too late.
Review
Rightly regarded as one of the greatest of European film directors, Max Ophüls achieves
the summit of his abilities in Madame de… The sugar sweet superficiality
of the first half of the film heightens the tragedy of the second half to epic proportions
and the result is a masterpiece of French cinema. Ophüls’ unceasing attention
to detail creates a world that serves as the perfect setting for the cursed diamond
earrings, yet a world that, beneath the veneer and etiquette, is harsh and destructive
for those that do not abide by the rules of the game.
The film’s star is undoubtedly Danielle Darrieux (although Charles Boyer and Vittorio De Sica put in some fine performances as well). Initially appearing a shallow and vain gentlewoman, the Countess Louise soon develops into a vulnerable and victimised tragic figure, tyrannised by her husband, taunted by a hopeless love for a man who cannot see the depth of her affection, and finally – and most tragically – spurned and apparently abandoned by her God. Danielle Darrieux carries off this transformation brilliantly, offering a performance that is engaging and deeply moving. © James Travers 2001 Write a review for this film... |
|
