Une chambre en ville

Written and directed by Jacques Demy, Une chambre en ville is the story of a young woman who wants to leave her brutish husband for a steel worker amidst a worker’s strike as she’s unaware that the worker is living with her mother. The film is a musical in which many of the dialogue is sung as it explore people dealing with their feelings for one another during a tumultuous event in a small town in France. Starring Dominique Sanda, Michel Piccoli, Richard Berry, Fabienne Guyon, Jean-Francois Stevenin, Jean-Louis Rolland, and Danielle Darrieux. Une chambre en ville is an extraordinarily rich and majestic film from Jacques Demy.

Set in 1955 at the small port town of Nantes during a worker’s strike, the film follows a worker who meets a woman, who is wearing only high heels and a fur coat, as they would have an affair while he deals with his own girlfriend and uncertain future for his job. Adding to the complications is that the woman he met is married and her mother is his landlord as she frets over the chaos of this strike and the appearance of her daughter whom she hadn’t seen in years. Jacques Demy’s screenplay features a lot of the dialogue as it’s sung yet it does help tell the story where the songs would reveal some key plot-points as well as establishing the characters and the situations they’re in. Even as characters such as the protagonists Edith Leroyer (Dominique Sanda) and Francois Guilbaud (Richard Berry) are coping with their own issues as they would get together. Edith’s husband in the TV shop owner Edmond (Michel Piccoli) and her mother Margot Langlois (Danielle Darrieux) would be integral to the story as the former is a man that is very jealous and possessive while the latter is Guilbaud’s landlord that was once a former baroness until she married a colonel as she would sympathize with the workers.

Demy’s direction is definitely entrancing from the way he opens the film with a showdown between striking workers and the police in black-and-white which then turns into color as well as some of the camera movements he creates throughout the film. Shot on location in Nantes, much of Demy’s compositions are straightforward such as the opening wide shots of the showdown at the film’s beginning while he would go for more intimate moments in the scenes at Langlois’ home with the usage of medium shots and close-ups. One notable scene where Edmond confronts his wife late in the film has Demy use hand-held cameras to showcase Edmond’s perspective in this showdown of sorts as it is quite violent at times. Since the film is a musical, there is no dancing or any kind of choreography as it is mostly dramatic but in a restrained tone as Demy wanted to emphasize on this struggle that Guilbaud is having as someone who is part of the working class. Especially as the songs that the characters sing throughout the entirety of the film showcase their own personal desires and struggles in a world that is quite chaotic. Overall, Demy creates a dazzling yet heartfelt film about a wife who has an affair with striking worker.

Cinematographer Jean Penzer does brilliant work with the film’s very colorful cinematography from the way the interiors are presented as well as some of the daytime and nighttime exteriors as it doesn’t go too much into style but maintain a sense of beauty. Editor Sabine Mamou does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the music as well as some of the transitions. Production designer Bernard Evein does amazing work with the look of the home of Madame Langlois as well as the TV shop that Edmond runs and the café that the workers would hold their meetings at.

Costume designer Rosalie Varda does nice work with the costumes from the fur coat that Edith wears to violet dress of Violette and the posh clothes of Madame Langlois. The sound work of Andre Hervee is terrific for its low-key and naturalistic sound as it help play into the drama. The film’s music by Michel Colombier is incredible as its usage of jazz, orchestral music, and bits of contemporary pop arrangements as it help carry the film and put accompaniment to the dialogue that is sung throughout the film as it is one of its major highlights.

The film’s superb cast include some notable small roles from Marie-France Roussel as a gypsy fortune teller, Jean-Louis Rolland as a leader for the striking workers, Anna Gaylor as Violette’s mother, and Jean-Francois Stevenin in a terrific role as the striking worker Dambiel who is a friend of Guilbaud as he is also a fraternal figure of sorts for Violette. Fabienne Guyon is fantastic as Violette as Guilbaud’s girlfriend that is eager to start her venture into adulthood while dealing with his sudden distance knowing that there is a future despite the atmosphere involving the worker’s strike. Michel Piccoli is excellent as Edmond Leroyer as a TV salesman that is consumed with jealousy thinking his wife is having an affair while dealing with his own faults as it would make him more troubling.

Danielle Darrieux is brilliant as Margot Langlois as Edith’s mother as a woman who lets Guilbaud stay at her house as a lodger as she deals with the things she lost in her life as well as her growing disdain towards the bourgeoisie lifestyle she was once a part of. Richard Berry is amazing as Francois Guilbaud as a metal sheet worker who is on strike as he copes with the expectations of his relationship with Violette as he falls in love with Edith while turning to Margot for advice and conversation. Finally, there’s Dominique Sanda in a radiant performance as Edith as Margot’s estranged daughter who realizes the bad decision she’s made in marriage as she tries to make amends with her mother while falling for Guilbaud as she spends much of the film wearing only a fur coat to express the sense of ruin that her life has become.

Une chambre en ville is a phenomenal film from Jacques Demy. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, a compelling story, and an exquisite music soundtrack with many of the actors singing their own dialogue. It’s a musical that doesn’t play by the rules while venturing into the anguish of love and the hope of a better life. In the end, Une chambre en ville is a spectacular film from Jacques Demy.

Jacques Demy Films: (Lola (1961 film)) - Bay of Angels - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg - The Young Girls of Rochefort - Model Shop - Donkey Skin - (The Pied Piper (1972 film)) - A Slightly Pregnant Man - (Lady Oscar) - (La Naissance du Jour) - (Parking (1985 film)) - (Three Places for the 26th) - (Turning Table)

© thevoid99 2017

Le Plaisir

Based on the short stories of Guy de Maupassant, Le Plaisir is a film that tell three different stories of life in late 19th Century France involving ballrooms, a painter’s studio, a countryside retreat, and bordellos. Directed by Max Ophuls and screenplay by Ophuls and Jacques Natanson, the film revolves around the world of 19th Century France in all of its trials and tribulations. Starring Jean Gabin, Simone Simon, Danielle Darrieux, Daniel Gelin, Claude Dauphin, Gaby Morlay, Madeleine Renaud, Ginette Leclerc, Pierre Brasseur, and Jean Servais as the voice of Guy de Maupassant. Le Plaisir is an evocative and exuberant film from Max Ophuls.

Set in the late 19th Century just years before the 20th Century, the film tell three different stories all based on the theme of pleasure in all of its fallacies. While it is presented as an anthology film, they all play into that theme with the middle section in Le Maison Tellier being the most dominant of the three while the opening story Le Masque and the closing story Le Modele both are given smaller time yet manage to provide enough to play into its theme. Le Masque is set in the world of ballrooms where a man in a mask (Jean Galland) arrives to dance with a young woman (Gaby Bruyere) only to pass out as a doctor (Claude Dauphin) makes a discovery and wonders why this man wears a mask. Le Maison Tellier revolves around a bordello madam (Madeleine Renaud) who takes her fellow prostitutes to the country where her niece is having her first communion while her brother (Jean Gabin) falls for one of the prostitutes in Rosa (Danielle Darreiux). In Le Modele, an artist (Daniel Gelin) falls for a model (Simone Simon) who would be his muse as their relationship starts off as idyllic only to turn into total chaos.

Max Ophuls’ direction is definitely exquisite not just for the setting that he creates but also in the intricate camera work that approaches for all of the stories. The scenes in Le Maison starts off as very extravagant with everyone going into the ballroom but once the man in the mask faints and falls ill. The tone of the story changes where it becomes more intimate with Ophuls maintains an intimacy in the medium shots and close-ups as opposed to the more lavish scenes in the ballroom where Ophuls would use tracking shots and some crane shots to play into the grandness of the ballroom. For Le Maison Tellier, the segment starts off at night in the city where it’s raucous while the scenes in the country are quainter and peaceful which makes the madam and her prostitutes a little uneasy as well as the sense of purity during the community scene as it is too much for Rosa to bear.

Ophuls’ approach to the scenes are more intimate but also has a mixture of long tracking shots as well as some slanted camera angles. In Le Modele, Ophuls would return to broader compositions as it relates to the world of art but it also has some style as it relates to the world of the artist and the model as they’re at odds with each other. Ophuls’ usage of slanted angles and some wide shots play into the tension while the rest of the film would feature moments that are somber. Notably in Le Maison Tellier where bordello regulars learn that the bordello is closed for a small period of time as the men are in a park trying to figure out what to do or what to talk about. It’s a moment that is presented with a simplicity as Ophuls isn’t aiming for style except in the film’s narration by the voice of Guy de Maupassant who would voice his thoughts on the story from time to time. Overall, Ophuls creates a majestic yet compelling film about the lives of different people and their encounter with pleasure.

Cinematographers Christian Matras and Philippe Agostini do brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography with the latter shooting many of footage for Le Modele while the former would create some extravagant lighting for the ballroom scenes in Le Masque and the more naturalistic daytime exteriors in Le Maison Tellier. Editor Leonide Azar does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward where it doesn’t go for any kind of style with the exception of a few rhythmic cuts here and there. Production designer Jean d’Eaubonne and set decorator Robert Christides do fantastic work with the design of the ballroom as well as the bordello and the artist’s studio to play into the world of extravagance.

Costume designer Georges Annenkov does amazing work with the design of the costumes from the dresses that the women wear to the costume of the masked man. The sound work of Louis Haller is terrific for its simplicity as it plays to the raucous world of the ballrooms and bordello to the calm atmosphere of the church during the communion scene. The film’s music by Joe Hayos is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that is largely based on the music of the times including the music that people danced too at the time.

The film’s incredible ensemble cast an array of noteworthy performances with Jean Servais in a superb performance as the voice of Guy de Maupassant. From the Le Masque, the performances of Jean Galland as the masked man, Claude Dauphin as the doctor, Gaby Bruyere as the masked man's dance partner, and Gaby Morlay as an old woman taking care of the masked man are all great in displaying the anguish of youth and aging. From Le Modele, the performances of Daniel Gelin and Simone Simon in their respective roles as the artist and the model are remarkable in displaying a love affair that starts out right only to become tumultuous. Much of the film’s ensemble that appears in Le Maison Tellier are fantastic with the small performances from Jocelyne Jany as the madam’s niece, Antoine Balpetre as a patron at the bordello, Rene Blancard as a mayor who is also a regular patron at the bordello, and Henri Cremieux as another rich patron of the bordello.

In the role of some of the prostitutes, there’s Mathilde Casadesus, Ginette Leclerc, Mila Parely in wonderful performances as a trio of prostitutes who have a hard time with the air of silence during the night during their country stay. Pierre Brasseur is very funny as a traveling salesman who tries to sell garments to the prostitutes where he does something very wrong. Jean Gabin is brilliant as the madam’s brother who falls for a young prostitute as he tries to deal with getting his daughter’s first communion to go well. Danielle Darrieux is sublime as Madame Rosa as a young prostitute who is in love with her boss’ brother as she becomes moved by the communion procession as well as the sense of purity in the country. Finally, there’s Madeleine Renaud in a radiant performance as Julia Tellier as a brothel madam who goes to the country to see her niece’s first communion as she doesn’t just cope with life in the country but also how her prostitutes react to a very different environment.

Le Plaisir is a sensational film from Max Ophuls. Featuring a great ensemble cast, amazing camerawork, dazzling art direction, and captivating stories on life’s pleasures and their flaws. It’s an intriguing film that tell three different stories of late 19th Century life and the many complexities of what people will do to find happiness. In the end, Le Plaisir is an incredible film from Max Ophuls.

Max Ophuls Films: (The Bartered Bride) - (The Merry Heirs) - (Liebelei) - (A Love Story (1933 film)) - (Everybody’s Woman) - (The Tender Enemy) - (The Trouble with Money) - (Yoshiwara) - (The Novel of Werther) - (Sarajevo (1940 film)) - (The Exile) - (Letter from an Unknown Woman) - (Caught (1949 film)) - (The Reckless Moment) - La Ronde - The Earrings of Madame de... - Lola Montes - (The Lovers of Montparnasse)

© thevoid99 2017

La Ronde (1950 film)

Based on the play by Arthur Schnitzler, La Ronde is a collection of stories involving infidelity where one person meets this person and that person meets another person. Directed by Max Ophuls and screenplay by Ophuls and Jacques Natanson, the film is an exploration into what makes people fall in love and commit adultery in the most whimsical of ways. Starring Anton Walbrook, Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, Simone Simon, Daniel Gelin, Danielle Darrieux, Fernand Gravey, Odette Joyeux, Jean-Louis Barrault, Isa Miranda, and Gerard Philipe. La Ronde is a witty and delightful film from Max Ophuls.

Set in 1900 Vienna, the film follows a series of infidelities where a man meets a woman and that woman meets another man who would be with this woman who would be with this man and so on. It’s a film with a simple premise as it’s largely told by a narrator (Anton Walbrook) from the modern world who would tell these stories involving people falling in love. Among them is a soldier who meets a prostitute as he would later fall for this chambermaid who falls for the son of the people she’s working for as he would have an affair with a married woman. That is the narrative in a nutshell as it is largely told by this narrator who would often break down the fourth wall or appear in a story as a supporting character. It’s a very unique approach to the narrative as it covers one affair after the other as the characters that are in this merry-go-round of love affairs prove to be very interesting and why people would fall in love with this person or that person.

Max Ophuls’ direction is definitely intoxicating to watch from the way he recreates 1900 Vienna as well as not be afraid to break the fourth wall. Shot largely in a soundstage as Vienna, Ophuls would use the setting to create some intricate camerawork with the tracking shots and some crane shots where it would often last for minutes rather than shoot something for less than a minute. Ophuls’ usage of close-ups and medium shots would maintain an intimacy for much of the film while he would also use some slanted camera angles for stylish reasons to play into a character that is in a transition from one lover to another. There are some wide shots in the film as it’s more about the romances and relationships while the narrator would often be seen driving a merry-go-round or do something that relates to the story where he would hold a reel of film and cut it out and back to a certain part of the story. Overall, Ophuls creates a whimsical yet splendid about people falling in love with this person and that person.

Cinematographer Christian Matras does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its usage of shades and shadows for some of the interiors along with some unique lighting for some of the exterior scenes set at night. Editor Leonide Azar does excellent work by creating some unique cutting styles including a few transitional wipes and some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the comedy and conversations. Production designer Jean d’Eaubonne does fantastic work with the set design from the different homes of some of the characters to the design of the merry-go-round. The costumes of Georges Annenkov are wonderful for its stylish look in the dresses the women wear as well as the suits that the men wear. The sound work of Pierre-Louis Calvet is superb for the natural elements of the sound as it doesn’t try to go for anything artificial. The film’s music by Oscar Strauss is amazing as it is this very lively orchestral score that play into the humor and romance with some songs sung by the narrator.

The film’s incredible ensemble cast feature performance that are just fun to watch starting with Anton Walbrook as the film’s narrator/game master who leads the audience to the story and break the fourth wall at times while taking on small supporting roles as an outsider as he’s a joy to watch. From the side of the men, we have Gerard Philipe in a superb performance as a young count who is in love with the actress while he would lament over his own love affairs. Jean-Louis Barrault is terrific as a poet who is in love with a young grisette named Anna as well as the actress while Daniel Gelin is excellent as a young man who would have an affair with a maid and a married woman. In the role of the young soldier, Serge Reggiani is fantastic as the soldier who would start things off in his tryst with a prostitute and later the maid. Fernand Gravey is excellent as the husband of the cheating wife who is having a relationship with a young grisette as he laments over his marriage.

From the women, we have Isa Miranda in a wonderful performance as a stage actress who is having an affair with a poet and a young count while Odette Joyeux is brilliant as a young grisette who spends her time with this married man but is in love with this poet. Danielle Darrieux is amazing as this married woman who is in love with this young man that she’s having an affair with yet still has love for her husband despite their passionless marriage. Simone Simon is radiant as a young maid who is dating this young soldier yet manages to fall for this man whose parents she works for while Simone Signoret is great as a prostitute who starts the entire story with her brief liaison with a soldier as she would start a chain of affairs for everyone involved.

La Ronde is a phenomenal film from Max Ophuls. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a witty story about infidelity, and an unconventional approach to its narrative. It’s a film that manages to be something fun as well as provide some unique ideas about infidelity in a humorous way. In the end, La Ronde is a spectacular film from Max Ophuls.

Max Ophuls Films: (The Bartered Bride) - (The Merry Heirs) - (Liebelei) - (A Love Story (1933 film)) - (Everybody’s Woman) - (The Tender Enemy) - (The Trouble with Money) - (Yoshiwara) - (The Novel of Werther) - (Sarajevo (1940 film)) - (The Exile) - (Letter from an Unknown Woman) - (Caught (1949 film)) - (The Reckless Moment) - Le Plaisir - The Earrings of Madame de... - Lola Montes - (The Lovers of Montparnasse)

© thevoid99 2017

The Young Girls of Rochefort

Written and directed by Jacques Demy, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The Young Girls of Rochefort) is the story of two sisters who hope to go to the big city when a fair arrives in their port town as they hope to find men and a chance to succeed. The film is a musical set in a small port town in France where it plays into two sisters trying to make it and escape their dreary world. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Francoise Dorleac, Jacques Perrin, Michel Piccoli, Danielle Darrieux, George Chakaris, Grover Dale, and Gene Kelly. Les Demoiselles de Rochefort is a splendid and enchanting film from Jacques Demy.

Set in the actual port town of Rochefort during the course of an entire weekend, the film is about a fair that is happening in the town where twin sisters hope to find their ideal men during the fair while hoping to go to Paris to pursue their own dreams. It’s a film that is about trying to find love but also deal with lost love and other complications with everyone getting ready for this fair that was to showcase a lot of things to the locals in Rochefort. Jacques Demy’s screenplay follows a lot of characters and their own pursuit for love with the twin sisters Delphine (Catherine Deneuve) and Solange (Francoise Dorleac) as the leads in the story as they’re two women who can sing and dance as they both want to go to Paris. Upon meeting the carnies Etienne (George Chakaris) and Bill (Grover Dale), they find a chance to get out of Rochefort even though their ideal figures of who their soul mates are just happen to be in the city. At the same time, there’s other characters who cope with love such as Delphine and Solange’s mother Yvonne (Danielle Darrieux) over a fiancée she left behind while a music shop owner in Simon Dame (Michel Piccoli) has just arrived to the town lamenting over someone he had lost as he befriends Solange.

Simon’s friendship with Solange would prompt him to call upon an old friend who could help her with her dreams of writing music in an American named Andrew Miller (Gene Kelly) as the two would meet but are unaware of who they really are. Another storyline involves a sailor named Maxence (Jacques Perrin) who is also a poet and painter as he is looking for his own ideal form of love through a painting he made as the woman in the painting looks a lot like Delphine though he’s never met her. There’s a lot that goes on yet Demy always find a way for these multiple stories with multiple characters to not overwhelm the narrative as he would write the lyrics and dialogue that would reveal a lot for all of these other storylines to make sense.

Demy’s direction is just intoxicating to watch in every sense of the word as it is shot on location in Rochefort where it is made to look like a real small town that has a lot more to offer. Shot on a 2:35:1 aspect ratio, Demy uses the widescreen format to his advantage not just in the wide shot where he captures so much coverage in the town but also in the scope of the dancing. Aided by choreographer Norman Meen, the dancing in the film definitely has a sense of movement that Demy would follow not just in wide and medium shots but also know when to cut and get it from another angle or for a close-up. Demy would use some tracking shots to follow some of the dancing while setting up moments from one part of a street to another to follow one character’s narrative into another where it all connects. Demy would also create simple moments for the non-musical scenes as it is more about the characters and what they would do where it would either set up a musical moment or something that would become a plot-point for a character. Even as its climax is at the fair where it is about these twin sisters finally reaching their dream to go to Paris and make something of themselves but also leave behind the idea that they might’ve never found their ideal figures of love. Overall, Demy creates a wondrous and majestic film about twin sisters trying to find love in their small port hometown.

Cinematographer Ghislain Cloquet does amazing work with the film’s colorful and gorgeous cinematography as much of the film is shot in the daytime where it captures the fullness and beauty of the colors as well as the locations with very few scenes shot at night that includes a dinner at Yvonne’s café. Editor Jean Hamon does excellent work with the editing as it does have elements of style but knows how to play with the rhythm of the music and in the dancing as it’s one of the film’s highlights. Production designer Bernard Evein and set decorator Louis Seuret do brilliant work with the set design from the look of Yvonne’s café as well as some of the staging in the fair and the music shop owned by Simon.

Costume designers Jacqueline Moreau and Marie-Claude Fouquet do fantastic work with the costumes as it adds to the film’s gorgeous visuals with its vibrant colors and how it play into the personality of the characters in the film. The sound work of Jacques Maumont is superb as it is very straightforward while capturing the atmosphere of the fair and some of the other local events. The film’s music by Michel Legrand is incredible as it is a highlight of the film with its playful score and the songs written with Demy as it says so much about the characters and helping to drive the story.

The film’s phenomenal cast include some notable small roles from Genevieve Thenier as Yvonne’s café waitress Josette, Pamela Hart and Leslie North as a couple of performers that dump Etienne and Bill for sailors, Patrick Jeantet as Yvonne’s youngest son Booboo, Rene Bazart as Yvonne’s father, Henri Cremieux as an old friend of Yvonne’s father who visits the café, and Jacques Riberolles as Delphine’s art gallery boyfriend Guillaume who is quite full of himself as the two break-up early in the film. Michel Piccoli is superb as Simon as a music shop owner who is an old friend of Andy as well as a mentor of sorts for Solange with her music as he also laments over love that he’s lost many years ago. Danielle Darrieux is fantastic as Yvonne as a café owner who also laments over a lover she left behind while coping with the fact that her daughters are leaving home to pursue their dreams as she’s the only person in the film that actually sings while everyone lip-syncs other people’s voices. Jacques Perrin is excellent as the sailor Maxence as a man who is trying to finish his service in the military while pursuing his own dreams as an artist where he hopes to find the woman he painted but never met.

George Chakaris and Grover Dale are brilliant in their respective roles as Etienne and Bill as two smooth-talking but kind carnies who try to woo Delphine and Solange while helping out Yvonne and other locals in the world of love. Gene Kelly is marvelous as Andrew Miller as an American friend of Simon who visits the small town as he gets a glimpse and falls for Solange while discovering a piece she wrote that she dropped upon their first meeting. Finally, there’s the duo of Catherine Deneuve and Francoise Dorleac in remarkable performances in their respective roles as Delphine and Solange. Deneuve and Dorleac, who are sisters in real-life, both provide a great sense of comic timing and charm as well as displaying their own vulnerabilities as women trying to find their ideal mates and their pursuit to follow their dreams in the big city despite leaving the one place they call home.

Les Demoiselles de Rochefort is a spectacular film from Jacques Demy. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, top-notch choreography, and sumptuous music. It’s a film that doesn’t just bear many elements into what makes the musical a joy to watch but it’s also backed by a universal and engaging story about finding love in a small portside town in France. In the end, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort is a tremendous film from Jacques Demy.

Jacques Demy Films: (Lola (1961 film)) - Bay of Angels - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg - Model Shop - Donkey Skin - (The Pied Piper (1972 film)) - A Slightly Pregnant Man - (Lady Oscar) - (La Naissance du Jour) – Une chambre en ville - (Parking (1985 film)) - (Three Places for the 26th) - (Turning Table)

© thevoid99 2017

The Earrings of Madame de...

Based on the novel by Louise Leveque de Vilmorin, The Earrings of Madame de… is the story of a countess who sells her earrings to pay off some debts only to cause some trouble in her lavish yet empty lifestyle. Directed by Max Ophuls and screenplay by Ophuls, Marcel Archad, and Annette Wadement, the film is an exploration of the life of a woman as her lavish lifestyle starts to crumble as she also begins to question her own marriage. Starring Danielle Darrieux, Charles Boyer, and Vittorio de Sica. The Earrings of Madame de… is a rich and evocative film from Max Ophuls.

Set in late 19th Century France, the film revolves around a pair of very expensive earrings where a countess tries to sell them off to pay some debts only to set off a chain of events that would trouble her once lavish lifestyle as well as what she wants in her own life. All of which would involve her dealing with a loveless marriage to a general as she falls for an Italian baron who would buy those earrings as it would add more trouble into a very complicated love triangle. It’s a film that plays into the ideas of a woman coping with the life she had as well as the earrings itself as they would be the cause of all sorts of trouble. The film’s screenplay explores the journey that these earrings would take as it would create a lot of these consequences that occur in the film. Especially in the life its countess whose first name is Louise (Danielle Darrieux) who lived a life of great wealth but it’s a shallow one that has her unaware of how loveless her marriage to Andre (Charles Boyer) is. Especially when Andre has a mistress who would take those earrings and later sell them playing to those chain of events.

It would then play into study of these three characters that would include the baron Donati (Vittorio de Sica) who is in the middle of this turmoil as he is just a good man that is in love with Louise. He would buy the earrings and later reveal the cracks in this marriage between Louise and Andre that is starting to show for these two. Especially as Louise would have her own realizations about her life and lifestyle where her affair with Donati would be more fulfilling but also an anguished affair because she is married as Andre is someone that has a lot of pull and can do some very terrifying things. Even as the affair is eventually discovered by Andre where his reaction is very unique for the fact that he kind of knew something was happening. All of which would lead to those earrings once again which is this interesting MacGuffin that really drives the story and the fate of these characters.

Max Ophuls’ direction is very exquisite in not just his approach to compositions but in also how to use the earrings as something more than just a plot device. Especially as there’s so much attention towards these earrings as they would be shifted from one character to another and then back to a character that previously owned these earrings. There’s a sense of precision and movement in Ophuls’ direction where his use of medium shots, close-ups, and tracking shots are truly hypnotic. Most notably a sequence where Donati and Louise would dance as the camera would swirl around to showcase the evolution of their relationship as they’re in different costumes as it is told with such style. 

Ophuls also creates these intense moments in the drama for the scenes where Louise and Donati are in the same room but they feel like they’re in different worlds due to the presence of Andre. Ophuls maintains an intimacy that can be very discomforting due to Andre’s presence as well as some wide shots as it relates to how detached he is from Louise. It would lead to this climax that is filled with a lot of ambiguities but also in how much damage these earrings have caused for these three people. Overall, Ophuls creates a very intoxicating and captivating film about a woman who sets off a chain of events that would lead to the unraveling of the lifestyle that she was once a part of.

Cinematographer Christian Matras does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into the elegance of the film‘s interior and exterior settings with its unique approach to lighting as well as setting moods for those lights. Editor Borys Lewin does excellent work with the editing with its stylish use of dissolves and rhythmic cuts as well as dance sequence with its montage-editing approach. Set designer Jean d’Eaubonne does fantastic work with the set pieces from the home that Andre and Louise lived in to the other places as it showcased its sense of extravagance and elegance.

Costume designers Georges Annenkov and Rosine Delamare do amazing work with the costumes from the look of the dresses that Louise wore to the suits and uniforms the men wear. The sound work of Antoine Petitjean is terrific for its approach to sparse sounds as well the way things are heard for dramatic effect. The film’s music by Oscar Straus and Georges van Parys is wonderful for its lush orchestral score that plays to the period of the times with its usage of piano-based music and operatic pieces as it plays to the romantic and dramatic tone of the film.

The film’s phenomenal cast include notable small performances from Lia Di Leo as Andre’s mistress Lola, Mirielle Perrey as Louise’s caretaker, Jean Galland as an associate of Andre, and Jean Debucourt as the jeweler Monsieur Remy. Vittorio de Sica is incredible as Baron Fabrizio Donati as this man who is an old friend of Andre as he falls for Louise as he also deals with the secrecy of their affair and Andre’s cruelty. Charles Boyer is marvelous as General Andre as this man who likes to keep things secret including his own extramarital affairs while he learns that his wife is lying as he tries to regain control of everything he has. Finally, there’s Danielle Darrieux in a radiant performance as Countess Louise as this woman whose life unravels all by the act of selling her earrings to settle some debts as Darrieux maintains a sense of elegance in her character despite the trials and tribulations she would have as it’s an iconic performance from Darrieux.

The Earrings of Madame de… is an astoundingly enchanting film from Max Ophuls. Armed with a great cast and a compelling premise, it’s a film that is definitely rich in its images but also in the way it explores a world that is changing as well as attitudes and behaviors. In the end, The Earrings of Madame de… is an exquisitely sensational film from Max Ophuls.

Max Ophuls Films: (The Bartered Bride) - (The Merry Heirs) - (Liebelei) - (A Love Story (1933 film)) - (Everybody’s Woman) - (The Tender Enemy) - (The Trouble with Money) - (Yoshiwara) - (The Novel of Werther) - (Sarajevo (1940 film)) - (The Exile) - (Letter from an Unknown Woman) - (Caught (1949 film)) - (The Reckless Moment) - La Ronde (1950 film) - Le Plaisir - Lola Montes - (The Lovers of Montparnasse)


© thevoid99 2015

8 Women

Based on the play Huit Femmes by Robert Thomas, 8 Femmes is a who-dun-it set during the Christmas holidays at the French countryside as a matriarch, her mother, her sister, her two daughters, her two maids, and her sister-in-law are all suspected of killing the man of the house as they’re force to reveal secrets and in song. Directed by Francois Ozon and screenplay by Ozon and Marina de Van, the film is a mixture of the colorful melodramas of Douglas Sirk with the mysteries of Agatha Christie with a bit of the musical told in the film. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Danielle Darrieux, Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Beart, Virginie Ledoyen, Ludivine Sagnier, and Firmine Richard. 8 Femmes is an exhilarating yet entertaining genre-bending film from Francois Ozon.

The film is essentially a quirky take on the who-dun-it that mixes suspense, comedy, melodrama, and the musical all into a mish-mash of fun where eight women ranging from different ages and such all try to figure out who killed the man in the house as they’re all suspects. Throughout the film, family secrets are unveiled as tension come ahead between the eight women in the story as well as an act of defiance from the two maids who are upset over the way things are handled. Adding to the chaos is the unexpected visit of the man’s sister Pierrette (Fanny Ardant) as she helps stir the pot where she and the seven other women start to figure out who did what as they also sing a song in turn to express their own feelings and such.

The screenplay by Francois Ozon and Marina de Van definitely takes it time to play with the expectations of a who-dun-it as they also explore the dysfunctional relationship between this group of women as it involve the man’s wife Gaby (Catherine Deneuve), her uptight sister Augustine (Isabelle Huppert), her wheelchair-bound mother Mamy (Danielle Darrieux), and her two daughters in Suzon (Virginie Ledoyen) and Catherine (Ludivine Sagnier). Then there’s the two servants in the longtime cook Madame Chanel (Firmine Richard) and the new chambermaid Louise (Emmanuelle Beart) as they observe everything while they become suspects over their motives and some secrets that they carry. Eventually, more secrets are unveiled as well as clues into who killed the man known as Marcel. The screenplay also plays with the structure of the suspense where it does give one character a reprieve of sorts as she is no longer a suspect allowing the others to figure things out.

The screenplay also plays into many things such as equality, homosexuality, and repression as these eight women all want something just as they are all dealing with themselves and their relationship with Marcel. The songs that are chosen for the film for each character reveal a lot into who these women are as well as what they have to say. It also helps play into some of the emotional aspects of the story that adds a layer to the melodrama.

Ozon’s direction definitely recalls a lot of the visual motifs of Douglas Sirk in terms of staging and framing as well as the meticulous attention to detail in every set piece. From the way Ozon creates an atmosphere in his framing to how he is willing to let things loose in the humor and drama. Even in the musical moments where some of it is choreographed while some of it is presented in a simple manner. Ozon does use some unique framing devices to present these musical numbers in the way he place the actors in a frame or have them be in the background for someone’s musical number with the help of choreographer Sebastian Charles. There is something intoxicating to the way Ozon presents the film as it plays as a theater piece but also take his time to subvert these moments for everyone to play loose. Overall, Ozon creates a very delightful and compelling who-dun-it that is presented in song and in humor.

Cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie does exquisite work with the film‘s colorful cinematography to create a sense of beauty as a lot of it is shot inside the house where Lapoirie uses some gorgeous lighting schemes for some of the musical numbers as well as the dramatic moments. Editor Laurence Bawedin does excellent work with the editing to capture some of the intensity of the drama and the rhythm of the musical numbers. Production designer Arnaud de Moleron and set decorator Marie-Claire Quin do amazing work with the set pieces with its attention to detail in the carpets and the presentation of the main room as it is definitely a highlight of the film.

Costume designer Pascaline Chavanne does brilliant work with the clothes as Chavanne designs a lot of specific clothing for each women to wear to display their personalities. Sound editor Benoit Hillebrant does nice work with the sound to capture some of the sound effects in the film to help maintain the air of suspense. The film’s music by Krishna Levy is wonderful for its lush orchestral score that recalls some of the sweeping musical styles of Bernard Herrmann. Music supervisors Amelie de Chassey and Delphine Mathieu do fantastic work with the selection of the songs as they go for pop for the songs sung by Catherine, Suzon, and Louise as well as more mid-tempo pieces for Gaby and Pierrette while Antoinette, Madame Chanel, and Mamy are given ballads.

The casting by Antoinette Boulat is marvelous for casting a great array of actresses to appear in the film as they span countless generations and periods. With Dominique Lamure only making a brief appearance as Marcel though he doesn’t show his face, the film definitely belongs to these women. Ludivine Sagnier is wonderful as the youngest in Catherine who is full of energy while Virginie Ledoyen is superb as the older sister Suzon who is carrying a secret of her own while dealing with all of the family chaos. Firmine Richard is great as the family cook Madame Chanel who is the most reserved character of the group as well as the one person who knows more than everyone else. Emmanuelle Beart is remarkable as the chambermaid Louise who is quite defiant in her role while having some secrets of her own as it concerns Marcel.

Danielle Darrieux is excellent as the family matriarch Mamy as a woman who claims she couldn’t walk as she’s often full of lies as well as being greedy. Fanny Ardant is amazing as Pierrette who makes a surprise visit to the house as she is definitely someone in a bit of control as she also has a real standout moment with her musical number. Isabelle Huppert is brilliant as Antoinette who represents a woman who is uptight and repressed as she is the most dramatic as well as being very funny. Catherine Deneuve is just divine as Gaby as a woman dealing with all of the chaos while facing herself and her own troubled relationship with her husband.

8 Femmes is an incredible film from Francois Ozon. Armed with a brilliant ensemble cast of some of France’s finest actresses as well as amazing technical work. It’s definitely a film that plays to the who-dun-it genre while doing it in song to create something that is full of joy and goes all out to entertain. In the end, 8 Femmes is a phenomenal film from Francois Ozon.

Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Sitcom - Criminal Lovers - Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Ricky - The Refuge - Potiche - In the House - Jeune & Jolie - (The New Girlfriend) - (Frantz (2016 film)) - (Double Lover) - (By the Grace of God) - Summer of 85 - (Everything Went Fine) - (Peter von Kant) - The Auteurs #33: Francois Ozon

© thevoid99 2013

Persepolis

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/13/09 w/ Additional Edits.

While animated films in recent years, have largely been made in 3-D computer-animated formats. The idea that 2-D hand-drawn animation ceasing to exist seems ludicrous as new animators often acknowledge the talents of the hand-drawn animators of the past. In 2007, the film that garnered all of the attention in both critical acclaim and box office success is Ratatouille led by Pixar studios and the film's director Brad Bird. While the film seemed to be the most acclaimed animated film that year, it would be another film from another country and style that would managed to garner as much attention. Based on a graphic novel about a young woman's life living in Iran as a child during the days of Ayatollah Khomeini while growing up to explore Europe and return to Iran in the post-Khomeini era. It would be a film that took the graphic novel to an animated form for an unusual but powerful film simply entitled Persepolis.

Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis tells the story of Satrapi's life as a child living in Iran as she comes of age during the Iranian Revolution in the late 70s and early 80s while exploring Europe and returning to Iran. Directed and adapted by Satrapi with animated director Vincent Paronnaud. The film is a 2-D animated film that takes images from Satrapi's graphic novel as it's told mostly in black and white but in color for scenes in the present. Featuring the voices of Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, and Simon Abkarian. Persepolis is a touching yet mesmerizing masterpiece from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud.

Marjane Satrapi (Chiara Mastroianni) is at a Parisian airport recalling her memories about her life in Iran as she's set to return to the country. It's 1978 when she was 9-years old kid named Marji thinking she will become a prophet as she lives with her parents (Catherine Deneuve & Simon Abkarian) and her grandmother (Danielle Darrieux). After hearing her father tell the story about the Shah's emergence from his father at a time as he's to fall, Marji and friends try to attack the son of a government official. Instead, God tells her that it's not the boys fault as she watches the Shah get overthrown and the return of Uncle Anoush. For a moment, it seems things are going to be better until the return of Ayathollah Khomeini who brings more restrictions to the country.

With her uncle sent back to prison as she visits him before his execution, Marji's view of the world becomes more dramatic. Following the start of the Iran-Iraq war and the increased restriction of Islamic law, Marji rebels through Western culture as she listens to Iron Maiden, wearing jacket that says "punk is not dead" on her back, and having a Michael Jackson badge on the jacket. Her rebellion leads her to be sent to school in Vienna. Shocked by her new surroundings and discovering new things including hardcore punk, her period in Vienna was a life-changing experience as she lost her virginity to a gay man and having a boyfriend named Markus for a while.

Following her return to Iran after the depressing experience in Vienna, she isolates herself for a while only to go to a university studying art where she meets her first husband Reza in 1992. Yet, her marriage at 21 proved to be a miserable experience as Majane turns to her grandmother for guidance prompting her to make decisions about her life.

The film is essentially a coming of age story about a young girl coming of age in a turbulent era in world history while learning about new worlds and then going back to her old country where things changed and some things haven't. Since it's an autobiographical tale based on a graphic novel, Marjane Satrapi and co-writer/co-director Vincent Paronnaud. The film does bring the graphic novel to life but instead of making it into live action. It's all animated where nearly the entire film is done in black-and-white, hand-drawn 2D animation similar to the look of the novel itself. What makes this film so interesting in its storytelling and direction is that it's told from memory as the only scenes in color are a present day Marjane at a Paris airport recalling all of this. She goes into great detail about the things in her life like how her grandmother puts jasmine flowers on her bra to make her smell fresh.

The direction of the film is truly mesmerizing in its images where it ranges from comical to dramatic. With some scenes of violence or of suspense, it's often done in a grey background with black shadows to help play up to the film's dark tone. Satrapi and Paronnaud with a team of animators and production designer Marisa Musy do fantastic work in recreating the look of Tehran and other places to explore the worlds that Marjane goes to. The scenes where its dreamlike, notably the dream conversations Marji would have with God has a wonderful look that gives an idea of heaven. The overall work in the animation is truly electrifying but also powerful in what it does for the art form itself.

Editor Stephane Roche does a brilliant job in the use of dissolves, jump-cuts, and fade-to-black shots in order to keep things moving for the film. At a running time of 95 minutes, it moves with such ease as some of the editing plays up to either the dream-like state of the film or its suspenseful, dramatic moment. Sound editor Samy Bardet does amazing work in the sounds of sirens, bombs, gunshots, and everything else to explore the chaos of Iran in the 1980s as well the raucous world of Viennese punk rock. The music of Olivier Bernet is fantastic with its mix of somber, orchestral pieces as well as comical arrangements along with the use of Middle Eastern sounds to play up to the world of Iran and its despair. The soundtrack includes Chiara Mastroianni singing Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger in a comical sequence.

The casting is great with many voice talents playing several characters with a couple of voice actors standing out in Francois Jerosme as Uncle Anoush and Gabrielle Lopes Benites as the young Marji. Danielle Darrieux is phenomenal as the voice of the wise, no-holds-barred grandmother who always gives Marjane worldly advice about the world and men. Simon Abkarian is great as the voice of the father who reveals Marjane stories about politics and how things weren't different when the Shah was in control as well as the way things were in the post-Khomeini world. Catherine Deneuve is superb as the voice of Marjane's mother (who in real-life is Chiara Mastroianni's mother), who wants Marjane to be independent while dealing with the cruelty men has towards women. Finally, there's Chiara Mastroianni doing spectacular voice work as Marjane, the protagonist who has this life-changing journey as Mastroianni voices the struggles, hardships, joys, and dissolution of a young woman dealing with all of those things in life.

When it premiered in competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, it was a surprise hit as it tied for the third place Jury Prize with Carlos Reygada's Silent Light. Yet, the film would continue to garner rave reviews and modest box office success internationally as it would be nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards. Though it didn't win, it still proved that there is still life in 2D hand-drawn animation as it was still considered to be one of the best films of 2007.

Persepolis is an entrancing yet heartfelt masterpiece from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. Those who loved the graphic novel will be amazed in what Satrapi and Paronnaud did to the images as it comes to life in such a grand yet elegant fashion. For those who love animated films, this is truly one of the decade's best as it proves that it can be as moving and striking as the current wave of 3D computer-animated films in the U.S. In the end, for a film filled with various themes on life and universal messages that are still relevant today. Persepolis is the film to go see.

Marjane Satrapi Films: Chicken with Plums - The Voices (2014 film) - (Gang of the Jota) - (Radioactive (2019 film)

© thevoid99 2011