 |
 |
|
|
|
> Earrings of Madame de... |
|
|
|
| |
see larger picture
|
|
Staring:
Charles Boyer,
Danielle Darrieux,
Paul Azäis,
Madeleine Barbulee,
Jean Debucourt
Director:
Max Ophuls
Average Customer Rating:  
List Price: $39.95
Our Price: $28.82
|
|
|
|
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
Brand: Image Entertainment
EAN: 0715515031622
Format: Black & White, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Label: Criterion Collection
Manufacturer: Criterion Collection
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Criterion Collection
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2008-09-16
Running Time: 100
Studio: Criterion Collection
Theatrical Release Date: 1953 |
|
|
|
Product Description
French master Max Ophuls's most cherished work, The Earrings of Madame de . . . is an emotionally profound, cinematographically adventurous tale of false opulence and tragic romance. When the aristocratic woman known only as Madame de . . . (the extraordinary Danielle Darrieux) sells her earrings, unbeknownst to her husband (Charles Boyer), in order to pay personal debts, she sets off a chain reaction, the financial and carnal consequences of which can only end in despair. Ophuls adapts Louise de Vilmorin's incisive fin de siecle novella with virtuosic camera work so elegant and precise it's been called the equal to that of Orson Welles.
SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New, restored high-definition digital transfer, Audio commentary featuring film scholars Susan White and Gaylyn Studlar , Interviews with Ophuls collaborators Alain Jessua, Marc Frederix, and Annette Wademant
A visual analysis of The Earrings of Madame de . . . by film scholar Tag Gallagher, Interview with novelist Louise de Vilmorin on Ophuls's adaptation of her story, New and improved English subtitle translation PLUS: A new essay by Molly Haskell, Louise de Vilmorin's novella Madame de, upon which the film is based, and a reprinted essay by costume designer and longtime Ophuls collaborator George Annenkov
|
|
 "Besides, the movie's boring.", 2009-08-04
If you don't know who said that, it means you haven't checked out the interview with the author of the book on which this movie is based, included in the bonus materials. Yup, Louise de Vilmorin herself dumps on the movie but good. She says "wrong" (faux) so many times I lost track. Apparently, Ophuls initially handed her a treatment for the movie that she thought was fine, then producers didn't think that was commercial enough and they had the story changed in so many ways that it no longer resembled the book. de Vilmorin pulls no punches in her critique and the points are all well taken.
I too found the whole business hard to believe and not the least bit romantic. The ending is awful and about as cliche as it gets. The idea that a French general would challenge an Italian diplomat to a duel is just silly. Why? Can you spell "international incident"? There is no way the French Foreign Ministry would have allowed such foolishness, nor would a senior military officer even consider such behavior in real life = court martial. Yes, I know there are stupid generals but the general in the film is not stupid.
This story was filmed again in 2001 with Carole Bouquet in the title role, and that's a much better movie. Gone are the annoying tracking shots, there is no silly duel, and the ending actually make sense, ditto the moral of the story, which is what can happen when pride is put ahead of love. Unfortunately, this version is only available in French without subtitles and you can only get it at Amazon.Fr. Oh well ...
Perfect Stars, Story, and Camera-work, 2010-08-18
"The Earrings of Madame de" is set in Paris during the early 20th Century. It drips with beauty and grace as the elaborate camera shots track the stars and celestial sets through upper class homes and palaces. Louisa (Danielle Darrieux) is a pampered and frivolous flirtatious wife of General Andre de (Charles Boyer). She secretly decides to sell the beautiful diamond earrings he gave her on their wedding day to pay off a bothersome debt she has. This inadvertently sets off a a chain of events that results in a whirlwind affair with an Italian Baron Donati (Vittorio De Sica).
Everything seems right in this movie, the stars, the timing, and an interesting story that shows how fate heads them all toward an ironic ending. Boyer plays a strict, disciplined masochistic army general that keeps his emotions in check, Danielle Darrieux is a great actress and is able to show how his frivolous wife, Louisa, evolves through her lies and deep love for Baron Donati.
A lie evolves and once the earrings are first sold, Louisa lies to her husband acting like she lost the earrings at the opera. This leads to a story of theft and a fuss in Paris. The jewelers become frightened, and the buyer comes to the General and tells him the truth. Louisa sold the jewelers the earrings secretly to get cash for debts. The general buys the earrings back again, not telling his wife, but giving them to his mistress, Lola. Lola goes to Constantinople and loses everything she has in gambling and barters the earrings for payment. The Italian Diplomat, Baron Donati, then sees them as a deal and buys them in Constantinople and returns to Paris. Donati meets Louise and the earrings return to her with new meaning.
Overall this beautifully crafted drama is fascinating. It has an interesting story, perfect casting and the camera tracking elaborate and difficult dance scenes.
It was made in 1953, a French movie with subtitles.
?, 2010-07-19
The Earrings of Madame de... is virtually a miracle of cinematic balance. The film gracefully moves along its comedic gestures towards a critique of aristocratic life. But like the best of Renoir-Ophuls refuses to reduce his work to a dry analysis of classes. Madame escalates into a divinely written tragedy with moments of transcendentally inspired dialogue. This is an indispensable gem of the cinema, though it will undoubtedly remain overly saturated with sentiment for today's audiences.
MUSICAL SCORE INFORMATION, 2009-10-08
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!
A French novel as film, 2009-12-11
This is a black and white film made of a period novel.
The costumes and settings are 19th century French.
The movie has a tight thematic structure of a love triangle
where a set of diamond heart earrings are a central prop.
First Louise the wife of the general sells them to pay her debts,
and says she lost them
and he buys them back from the jeweler.
He gives them to his departing mistress
and she losing them gambling.
A French diplomat, the Baron, buys them
and meets the Madame de and falls in love.
The triangle revolves around the earrings when she gets them as
a gift from the Baron.
I liked the movie and the structure of the romance gone wrong.
|
|
|
|
| |
![The Man with No Name Trilogy [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ue8GNJ3aL._SL75_.jpg "The Man with No Name Trilogy [Blu-ray]"){kind=small}