Madame De... on DVD (1953)

Savage from London, England [Highly rated reviewer] , 24/01/2007

Perhaps Ophuls' most extravagant attempt at recreating the high society of the late nineteenth century, and never has even camera swirled and swooned with such elegance. The art direction and the acting all join in the compete immersion of subject to period.

But here's the problem, Ophuls seems to have badly over-estimated the quality of his material, and in trying to sell us a genuine love story amid so much opulent irony and hypocrisy, and then showing us its (unconsummated) progress almost solely in montage, he leaves an audience nothing to engage with.

In the wondrous 'Letter from an unknown woman' he shows us the real draining emotion of an affair, and its disastrous consequences. He remains on the surface: a deliberate technique on his part, but one which doesn't reward an audience as much as it might.

  5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

Read all reviews

Mike from Leamington Spa, England , 31/05/2007

Exquisite, romantic, lovingly photographed and totally enchanting! Witty, melodramatic and acid in its observations of French upper class society...yet, somehow, there's something missing at the core. It's hard to fault the acting, but the characters don't fully engage our sympathies. Perhaps the not-very-convincing plot doesn't quite work or, possibly, the direction is too slick and knowing, but Madame De falls just short of its director's obviously high ambitions.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

Read all reviews

Robert Dawson from Cardiff,Wales [Highly rated reviewer] , 31/01/2008

Read the plot above..good, now take my word for it, this is cinema that only the French can do...intriguing,poetical and above else damned sexy..

If you choose to ignore my verdict and instead think that this is the view of a to-be-pitied buffoon let me assure you that, firstly, I've watched literally thousands of films( well maybe hundreds), and I know what I like,and secondly I was able to swim two lengths of a swimming pool by the time I was a mere seven years of age...irrelevant,yes, but i'm still proud.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

Read all reviews

A customer from Huddersfield. England , 04/06/2007

The fluid camera work is usually commented on and is perfectly married to the needs of this film, but for me it is the complex grasp of structure that enthrals. Themes, rhythms and camera movements come around again in new contexts that move the story on yet reflect on what has past half a film ago. All the characters are in various ways flawed. None ask for our total empathy, all show moments to draw our sympathy and moments to repel us. This is a film for close scrutiny and repeat viewing. I know its churlish, but I find Oscar Strauss lets down this most musical of film makers. I know its the choice of Ophuls but Oscar Strauss was unable to rise above Vienesse kitch and wouldn't know the meaning of structure. Maybe Ophuls needed a simple tune-smith to act as a foil for his complexity but for this listener the repetitive saccharine phrases irritate in an otherwise flawless film.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Read all reviews