Back home

The Earrings of Madame de...

251 votes

Producing House

In late 19th century France, the Countess Louise, wife of a wealthy general, sells the earrings her husband gave her on their wedding day to pay off her secret debts, then claims to have lost them. Her husband quickly learns of the deceit, which is the beginning of many tragic misunderstandings, all involving the earrings, the general, the countess, and her new lover, the Italian Baron Donati.

movie

Status: Released

Released Date: 1953-04-16

Runtime: 105 mins

Director: Max Ophüls

Writer: Annette Wademant

Spoken language: Français, English, Italiano, Türkçe

Genres: Drama, Romance

Original title: The Earrings of Madame de...

Production Companies: Franco London Films, Indusfilms, Rizzoli Film

Production Countries: France, Italy

Reviews

G

Geronimo1967
Yikes, but this is a classy and vivacious adaptation of de Vilmorin's novel of just why marriage isn't (or shouldn't be) for everyone. It all starts when the comtesse "Louise" (Danielle Darrieux) has to sell some jewellery to settle debts of which her husband - a renowned general "André" (Charles Boyer) is unaware. Now this action sets in train a chain reaction that sees these earrings provide a conduit for a story of lust, deception and duplicity as both parties find themselves caught up in some extra-martial relationships and coincidences that ultimately lead to misunderstandings and tragedy. It's a wonderfully internecine story that, though maybe having a slight overdose of serendipity at times, is really effective at demonstrating just how one lie can have an unpredictable domino effect with far reaching ramifications! Ably aided by a strong performance from Boyer, Vittorio De Rica as the baron "Donati" and Lia Di Leo's powerful contributions as "Lola", Darrieux is on great form here as the story unfolds - she even manages a song amidst the emotional chaos she has (inadvertently) caused. The attention to detail gives the production a lavish look to it and at times the writing is remarkably observant and potent - especially from Boyer. It's a love story that is almost entirely devoid of sentiment, walks a thin line between cruelty and generosity and I really enjoyed it.
2023-06-20

Recommendations

Sword of the Beast
3.7

Sword of the Beast

1965-09-18

Legendary swordplay filmmaker Hideo Gosha's Sword of the Beast chronicles the flight of the low-leve

Daisies
3.6

Daisies

1966-12-30

Two teenage girls embark on a series of destructive pranks in which they consume and destroy the wor

The Secret Garden
3.8

The Secret Garden

1987-11-30

When a spoiled English girl living in 19th century India loses both parents in a cholera epidemic, s

Madeleine
3.4

Madeleine

1950-02-16

Madeleine's middle-class family cannot understand why she puts off marrying a respectable young man,

A Geisha
3.8

A Geisha

1953-08-12

Fleeing a distressing family situation, Eiko, a very young girl, becomes an apprentice to Miyoharu,

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum
3.9

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum

1939-10-13

In late 19th century Tokyo, Kikunosuke Onoue, the adopted son of a legendary actor, himself an actor

Khan El-Khalili
0

Khan El-Khalili

1966-01-12

Ahmed is forced to interrupt his studies in order to support his family and for his younger brother

Spring
3.2

Spring

1970-01-05

Paunvere parish school students Arno and Teele, Toots and Kiir, Tõnisson and Imelik experience feeli

Nedosněné sny
0

Nedosněné sny

1989-01-01

Time Limit
3.5

Time Limit

1957-10-23

Military investigator Colonel Edwards is assigned a case involving Major Cargill, a Korean War POW w

Story of G.I. Joe
3.2

Story of G.I. Joe

1945-07-13

War correspondent Ernie Pyle joins Company C, 18th Infantry as this American army unit fights its wa

Joy of Living
2.9

Joy of Living

1938-05-06

Falling in love with the voice of Broadway chanteuse Margaret Garret, cocksure young tycoon Daniel B

O Quinze
2.9

O Quinze

2004-08-16

Topsy-Turvy
3.3

Topsy-Turvy

1999-12-15

For nearly a decade, Gilbert and Sullivan’s collaborations have delighted the English people. But in

Wrath of the Wind
2.6

Wrath of the Wind

1970-12-04

A mute gunslinger takes on an oppressive landlord in 19th century Valencia and falls in love with a

Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench
2.8

Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench

2010-03-28

After connecting with the shy Madeline, a jazz trumpeter embarks on a quest for a more gregarious pa

The Gambler
3.4

The Gambler

1974-10-02

New York City English professor Axel Freed outwardly seems like an upstanding citizen. But privately

The Idiots
0

The Idiots

Fyodor Dostoyevsky and his wife Anna travel to Europe for their honeymoon and end up staying in a he

King Solomon's Mines
2.6

King Solomon's Mines

1937-06-17

White hunter Allan Quartermain and his enigmatic guide help a young Irish woman locate her missing f

No Highway in the Sky
3.5

No Highway in the Sky

1951-06-28

James Stewart plays aeronautical engineer Theodore Honey, the quintessential absent-minded professor