The Earrings of Madame de...

"It was her vanity that destroyed her."

1953 1h 45m FR

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 265

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“It was her vanity that destroyed her.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

HBO Max Amazon ChannelSubscription

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Charles Boyer
Général André de...
Danielle Darrieux
Comtesse Louise de...
Vittorio De Sica
Baron Fabrizio Donati
Jean Debucourt
Monsieur Rémy
Jean Galland
Monsieur de Bernac
Mireille Perrey
La Nourrice
Paul Azaïs
Le premier cocher
Jacques Josselin

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Max Ophüls
Writers: Annette Wademant, Max Ophüls, Marcel Achard
Languages: French, English, Italian, Turkish
Countries: France, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

73 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: French, English, Italian, Turkish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Max Ophüls, shot by Christian Matras. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Original score by Oscar Straus. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Borys Lewin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux and Vittorio De Sica carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It was her vanity that destroyed her.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Max Ophüls directs. Christian Matras behind the camera. Oscar Straus scores. Borys Lewin cuts. Produced in France, Italy. Dialogue in French, English, Italian, Turkish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

173 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: French, English, Italian, Turkish.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.
4Directed by Max Ophüls, shot by Christian Matras. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Oscar Straus. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Borys Lewin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux and Vittorio De Sica carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "It was her vanity that destroyed her.".
9IMDB entry: tt0046022 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Christian Matras
Original score: Oscar Straus
Editing: Borys Lewin
Production design: Jean d'Eaubonne
Costume design: Rosine Delamare
Makeup / hair: Carmen Brel
Runtime: 105 min · 1h 45m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: FR
IMDB: The Earrings of Madame de... (1953)

Also by

Max Ophüls

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-06-20
★ 7/10
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.

Production companies