Madame de... (1953)

Director:

Max Ophüls

Writers:

Louise de Vilmorin (novel)
Marcel Achard (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 July 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It was her vanity that destroyed her.

Plot:

In the Paris of the late 19th century, Louise, wife of a general, sells the earrings her husband gave...

Plot Keywords:

Earring | Countess | Debt | Lover | Diplomat

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Charles Boyer	...	Général André de...
Danielle Darrieux	...	Comtesse Louise de...
Vittorio De Sica	...	Baron Fabrizio Donati
Jean Debucourt	...	Monsieur Rémy
Jean Galland	...	Monsieur de Bernac
Mireille Perrey	...	La Nourrice
Paul Azaïs	...	Le premier cocher
Josselin
Hubert Noël	...	Henri de Maleville
Lia Di Leo	...	Lola

Also Known As:

Gioielli di Madame de ... (Italy)
The Earrings of Madame de... (USA)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Forêt de Rambouillet, Yvelines, France

Company:

Franco London Films

Trivia:

Jean-Pierre Melville often frequented the set and was rumored to have directed the extras during the dancing sequence.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the general gives the earrings to Lola on the train, she is crying and has her little bag on her lap. In the next cut, the bag is on the table.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Working with Max Ophuls: Alain Jessua on the Making of 'Madame de...' (2006) (V)

An elegant film of constrained passions, romantic lies, love and death.

The film is elegant, although it is a bit cold, without harming, however, its remarkable level. In fact, it perfectly counterbalances the expressed love of Baron Donati for Madame Louise, the unexpressed love of Madame Louise for the Baron, her pastiches and dangerous lies, the mystery that surrounds her, starting from the original title, "Madame De…", a mystery by which she likes to be surrounded. Also the love concealed under formal acts of a daily routine of the General towards Louise, his wife, is very important for the story as well as his jealousy, which is very refined, under the aspect of a "nonchalant" friendship for Baron Donati, up to the final cruelty. The lightness of music, the high rhythm of dances, the brilliant military and diplomatic uniforms, the precious toilets, all cooperates to construct a romantic but not too sweet atmosphere around passions, secrets, untrue confessions, disappointments, pains, death. Danielle Darrieux, Charles Boyer, Vittorio De Sica, in spite of their different extractions as actors, are softly melted in a plot tasting peach and lemon. Danielle Darrieux is faithful to certain roles performed by her, Charles Boyer appears to have forgotten his passionate roles as a lover and Vittorio De Sica is deprived of his humorous vein, but all of them deserve a standing ovation in my opinion.