In the Paris of the late 19th century, Louise, wife of a general, sells the earrings her husband gave her as a wedding gift: she needs money to cover her debts. The general secretly buys the earrings again and gives them to his mistress, Lola, leaving to go to Constantinople. Where an Italian diplomat, Baron Donati, buys them. Back to Paris, Donati meets Louise...
What I like about this is the carrying of an object through the storyline, even if the object itself is not necessarily the important part. It sort of calls to mind "Adventures of a Ten-Mark Note", for example. Storytelling through an object is really a fascinating way to view the world beyond just this one character, Madame.
The film received mixed reviews when first released, but its reputation has grown over the years. It was revived in England in 1979, where it was rediscovered as a masterpiece. Derek Malcolm called it "a supreme piece of film-making which hardly puts a foot wrong for 2 hours...a magnificent and utterly timeless dissection of passion and affection, the game of life and love itself." I see some say it relies too much on sleight of hand and whatnot, but isn't this precisely the point? The running gag that we never get to see or hear Madame's last name is brilliant. It makes for a good joke (without turning the film into outright comedy), and keeps her anonymous, as the story could really be about anyone.
What I like about this is the carrying of an object through the storyline, even if the object itself is not necessarily the important part. It sort of calls to mind "Adventures of a Ten-Mark Note", for example. Storytelling through an object is really a fascinating way to view the world beyond just this one character, Madame.
The film received mixed reviews when first released, but its reputation has grown over the years. It was revived in England in 1979, where it was rediscovered as a masterpiece. Derek Malcolm called it "a supreme piece of film-making which hardly puts a foot wrong for 2 hours...a magnificent and utterly timeless dissection of passion and affection, the game of life and love itself." I see some say it relies too much on sleight of hand and whatnot, but isn't this precisely the point? The running gag that we never get to see or hear Madame's last name is brilliant. It makes for a good joke (without turning the film into outright comedy), and keeps her anonymous, as the story could really be about anyone.