Lola Montès (1955)

Very disappointing...

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

A most interesting film, but Ophuls' masterpiece it is not. Often sweepingly directed in Ophuls' usual imaginatively rococo style and full to overflowing with rich pictorial splendors, certainly, but at times, incredibly, it is just plain dull. I've only seen the complete 140-minute version. It is possible that the re-edited versions are more lively, but I've no great desire to see them.Sad to say, one of my favorite stars, Martine Carol, does not come out of this chore with any great distinction. A wordy and poorly characterized script is partly to blame. It's also probable that director Ophuls spent so much time arranging the film's decor and its opulent visual effects, he had little to spare for Miss Carol — a natural beauty but not a natural actress. She's a lady that needs careful and sympathetic direction. Here, as in her other disasters such as "Action of the Tiger" (1957) and "The Stowaway" (1958), she was doubtless left largely to her own devices. Her costumes are a problem too. Colorful enough, but far too dressy. Hardly the sort of material to inspire her fans to commence cheering.The other actors are not much help either. Peter Ustinov's slow delivery hinders the pace as much as the careful mannerisms of Anton Walbrook. But at least Walbrook has presence, whereas Ustinov appears miscast. Ivan Desny seems too heavy, and by contrast, Oscar Werner too eager.Breathtaking photography with an often inspired use of CinemaScope, plus huge production values, can only marginally save what — sad to say — basically comes across as a rather empty, emotionally sterile production. (The 110-minutes CinemaScope version is currently available on a Fox Lorber DVD).

This French/German film was the last directed by Max Ophüls (Letter from an Unknown Woman, The Reckless Moment, Madame De...) before his death two years later from rheumatic heart disease, and it is listed in the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Basically, set in the 19th Century, the film tells the tragic life story of dancer, travelling circus star performer and adventurer Lola Montès (Martine Carol), told through flashbacks. Lola had a traditional upbringing, she was pressured by her mother, Mrs. Craigie (Lise Delamare), to get married, but it was not a happy union with he man she was with, so she moved on to become a successful dancer and courtesan, there she sparked a friendship, if not relationship of sorts, with the Circus Master (Peter Ustinov). Lola had many famous lovers during her time, including composer Franz Liszt (Will Quadflieg), Ludwig I, King of Bavaria (Anton Walbrook) and many noblemen. As she travelled across Europe Lola was riddled in scandal, with observers equally shocked and titillated by her activities, but the ring master did his best to protect her, but still demanded her to perform an entertaining circus show performance, even under pressure. Also starring Ivan Desny as Lieutenant Thomas James, Oskar Werner as Student, Henri Guisol as Horseman Maurice and Paulette Dubost as Josephine, The maid. This was the only film Ophüls made in colour, there was also a point where it cut for theatrical purposes, the full length was restored eventually and recognised by many as a masterpiece. As for the film itself the acting was good, Carol and Ustinov standing out best, I admit I did not understand everything going on, having to read subtitles as well, but it had impressive visuals in terms of the circus setting and costumes, and there were interesting moments, it is a watchable historical romantic drama. Good!

"Lola Montes" is a film about movement in every way. The famous tracking shots, so widely written about, are absolutely necessary here and in Max Ophuls' direction reached an apogee. They dominate such different story lines as "Le plaisir", "Madame De...", "Liebelei" and the rest but here the subject is motion - a life in perpetual, ceaseless motion. Actually this motive was appealing to Ophuls in general - lost earrings, the dance of the masked man and down the line -but here it uses a life as its opening premise. Actually the film is not really concerned with the title character as with the men whose lives it touches. In that capacity Martine Carol fulfills her role quite adequately. There's not much to see in Lola - she is portrayed in two dimensions throughout the film and her character was never intended to come to life. The men around her, on the other hand, are a wonderful lot with totally different responses to Lola's seductiveness and this is at the core of the film. The colors of the circus are fabulous and the season's of Lola's life depicted in some of the most sophisticated color schemes I've ever encountered. The wintry blues and whites in the palace with the snow depict the end of one man's life while the autumnal shades of her affair with Liszt were breath-taking. Someone reported that Phuls had actually painted the ground around the carriage to simulate the end of an affair. My only objection in the entire film is George Auric's overuse of his beautiful opening music at the film's beginning. It outlasted its welcome, unfortunately. This is a great film and fitting end to a remarkable career by yet another - Max Ophuls.Curtis Stotlar

This movie is proof that the French, too, can make movies that are big budget spectacles that are dull and uninvolving. Like Around the World in 80 Days, The English Patient and The Last Emperor, this movie is BIG--bigger than life. And, like these other examples, sterile and uninteresting. It isn't that it's a bad movie---it certainly isn't. It's just with all the money and effort, it should have been better. As far as the style of the film, alternating from the circus to flashbacks, it sure reminded me of Max Ophüls' other film, Le Ronde. However, unlike Le Ronde, it lacked charm and style--it instead had a lavish budget and plastic characters. Plus, although the actress playing Lola was not completely unattractive, I had a very hard time imagining men falling for her.