This is about something most illusory - pleasure, and various definitions of it. One man's pleasure is another's poison - personally the world depicted in such a wistful and playful way by Max Ophuls holds no attraction for me. Sex and dancing aren't everything except if you think so. But as a film this is supreme stuff, Art of a kind never witnessed outside of Ophuls and with a cinematic regard and feeling for 19th century France and the French that remains unsurpassed.
Three of Maupassant's short stories are presented - he was sitting by me at the time - for me the most poignant being the first, Le Masque. The opening sequence is an incredible whirling bustling tour de force of camera, set and actor trickery, moving them all about with an astounding ease for 1952. Not once in the packed studio did something crunch into a balustrade or one of the dancers take someone's eye out - choreography so perfect as to make you gasp. We as the modern audience are constantly peeping through lattices, curtains, windows, holes etc at the action within from 1880, occasionally permitted to become part of it with the characters. The loving attention to period detail is constant and total. With so much being studio-bound, I've always wondered why the over-riding image I carry in my head of Le Plaisir is from the 2nd story, La Maison Tellier. With the jolly yokel Jean Gabin at the reins of the cartload of gaudy jolly whores including Danielle Darrieux dashing through the sunny French countryside full of life and happy at the prospect of a night off and more perfect choreography it's a joy to behold.
The 3rd piece Le Modele has Simone Simon and Daniel Gelin reviewing their previous performances in La Ronde but with the ending somewhat different! Overall, a totally inconsequential ravishingly beautiful film to cherish, an ideal bookend for La Ronde - pleasure is hardly the word!
Three of Maupassant's short stories are presented - he was sitting by me at the time - for me the most poignant being the first, Le Masque. The opening sequence is an incredible whirling bustling tour de force of camera, set and actor trickery, moving them all about with an astounding ease for 1952. Not once in the packed studio did something crunch into a balustrade or one of the dancers take someone's eye out - choreography so perfect as to make you gasp. We as the modern audience are constantly peeping through lattices, curtains, windows, holes etc at the action within from 1880, occasionally permitted to become part of it with the characters. The loving attention to period detail is constant and total. With so much being studio-bound, I've always wondered why the over-riding image I carry in my head of Le Plaisir is from the 2nd story, La Maison Tellier. With the jolly yokel Jean Gabin at the reins of the cartload of gaudy jolly whores including Danielle Darrieux dashing through the sunny French countryside full of life and happy at the prospect of a night off and more perfect choreography it's a joy to behold.
The 3rd piece Le Modele has Simone Simon and Daniel Gelin reviewing their previous performances in La Ronde but with the ending somewhat different! Overall, a totally inconsequential ravishingly beautiful film to cherish, an ideal bookend for La Ronde - pleasure is hardly the word!