Madame de

MADAME de The film Madame de, directed by Max Ophuls is perfection. This tragedy of love, which begins in narcissistic flirtation and passes from romance to passion, to desperation, is set, ironically, in aristocratic circles that seem too superficial to take love tragically. Everything from the writing, casting, direction, photography and finally to editing is flawless. It is an example of a film done right, an example of a director with a vision, and the …

…nearly resolved in an understated manner compatible with the characters' concepts of honor and grace. The result is a masterful tragedy of a failed romance. Ophuls has also created a classic tragedy in the sense that Madame de's hubris in believing that she could get away with pawning her jewelry to pay her frivolous debts is eventually punished by her own death, caused indirectly by the earrings, the materialistic representation of her pride and vulnerability.