Director Max Ophuls was at the peak of his creative powers for 1953's The Earrings of Madame de…, a stylistic tour de force that ranks among the greatest films ever made. Ophuls polished his elegant long-take camera shots while working in Hollywood after World War II, but it wasn't until he returned to France that he created a string of masterpieces (including Madame de…, as this film was simply titled in Europe) that sealed his reputation as one of the world's greatest directors. The Earrings of Madame de… offers a virtual catalog of Ophuls' stylistic inclinations, influenced by his experience in theater and his desire to allow actors (and his constantly gliding camera) as much freedom of movement as possible. Freely adapted from the novella by French novelist Louise de Vilmorin (who openly condemns Ophuls' film as “all wrong” and “boring” in one of this DVD's vintage interviews), the story begins when an early-20th-century aristocratic Parisian woman known only as Madame de… (brilliantly played by Danielle Darrieux) sells the titular earrings—a gift from her Army general husband (Charles Boyer)—to pay off her personal debts. The sale sets off a series of events, during which the general learns of his wife's love for a courtly Italian diplomat (played by actor-director Vittorio De Sica), as this swirling tale of doomed romance spirals into inevitable tragedy. The Earrings of Madame de… was rightly praised as “perfection” by hard-to-please critic Pauline Kael, and its stylistic gracefulness has influenced a host of world-class filmmakers—from Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut) to Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood), who offers an introduction here. Additional DVD extras include audio commentary by scholars Susan White and Gaylyn Studlar (whose occasionally opposing viewpoints yield a stimulating discussion), archival interviews with three of Ophuls' close collaborators, a visual analysis of Ophuls' style by critic/film scholar Tag Gallagher, the aforementioned 1965 interview with De Vilmorin, and a 66-page book featuring the complete original source novella, an essay by film critic Molly Haskell, and an excerpt from costume designer Georges Annenkov's 1962 book Max Ophuls. One of the great classics of European cinema, The Earrings of Madame de… is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: two other films by Ophuls are also newly available from Criterion—Le Plaisir (1952) and La Ronde (1950)—also priced at $39.95 each.] (J. Shannon)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 13, 2013—Criterion, 100 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, $39.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1953's The Earrings of Madame de… features a decent transfer and an uncompressed mono soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by film scholars Susan White and Gaylyn Studlar, an intro by filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (15 min.), archival interviews with director Max Ophüls' close collaborators Alain Jessua, Marc Frédérix, and Annette Wademant (40 min.), a visual essay by film scholar Tag Gallagher (18 min.), an interview with writer Louise de Vilmorin on the adaptation of her novel (5 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Molly Haskell, an excerpt from costume designer Georges Annenkov's 1962 book on Ophüls, and Vilmorin's 1951 source novel. Madame de. Bottom line: an enduring foreign classic makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]
The Earrings of Madame de…
Criterion, 100 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $39.95 Volume 23, Issue 6
The Earrings of Madame de…
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