The Earrings of Madame de…

As the diamond earrings of Madame de... travel a circuitous route from one owner to the next, an entire world comes to life—both the world of the French nobility during the Belle Èpoque as well as the opulent private life of the vain Madame de..., her indulgent, aristocratic husband, and her soft, charming lover. Ophüls’ elaborate fluid camera movements take us beyond the film's glittering surfaces (we are "only superficially superficial" the count aptly remarks to his fashionable wife) to expose the raw feelings surging beneath and, in a final catharsis, into the spiritually redemptive territory of grand passion. Darrieux, Boyer and de Sica did their greatest work in this towering film which, as Roger Ebert writes, “glitters and dazzles… We sit in admiration of its graceful style, its sets, its costumes and of course, its jewelry. Then to our surprise we find ourselves caring.” Screened at least five times in various LACMA series including a major Ophüls Retrospective in 1999 and a Charles Boyer Centennial Retrospective in 2008, this masterpiece rewards multiple viewings and is truly an audience favorite.
Bing Theater | $5 admission | Tickets: 323 857-6010 or purchase online.