Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the greatest films ever, 3 Feb 2005
I first saw this on TV about 20 years ago, and was delighted to see that it had appeared on DVD. My memory hadn't let me down. This is an amazing film, full of stunning images, vast crowd scenes, subtle use of EastmanColour, amazing fluid camera movement, low-key naturalistic acting, and wonderful performances. Lola Montez was an 'adventuress', who, in this lightly fictionalised account of her life, has ended up in a circus, re-enacting key scenes from her life. In flashback, we see what really happended, starting with an unhappy marriage, her career as a dancer, and affairs with Liszt and the King of Bavaria (Anton Walbrook), the latter causing a revolution! Lola is played by Martine Carol, a wonderful French actress, and the ring-master in the circus scenes is a youthful Peter Ustinov. Mention must also be made of Auric's music, which captures the mood exactly. This film is truly astonishing in its lavish detail and epic flair, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Max Ophuls cinematic look at the famous courtesan, 13 April 2005
By A Customer
"Lola Montes" tells the story of the famous courtesan, played by Martine Carol, who became a circus novelty because she was ill and had nowhere else to go. As the high points of her life out acted out for the crowd, Lola recalls her own memories of these events, only having to respond when the Circus Master (Peter Ustinov), compels her to answer questions from the audience. Obviously Ophuls is looking at how fame and fortune can be fleeting, but it is the style rather than the subject matter that proves most memorable. The only significant problem with this film is the performance of the leading lady, who never manages to evoke either the desirability of Lola at her height of popularity or her despair on the bottom side of life. Peter Anton Walbrook plays the elderly Ludwig I, King of Bavaria and Will Quadflieg plays the musician Franz Liszt, two of Lola's most famous conquests. Oskar Werner plays a student in this 1955 French/German film. The true star becomes Ophuls' camera work, showing us what he wants us to see as he wants us to see it. He also takes advantage of the widescreen in several interesting ways. The last thing you need to know is that this appears to be a "semi-restored" version of Max Ophuls' legendary film. "Lola Montes," the director's only film made in Technicolor and CinemaScope, was originally 140 minutes long. The producers cut this down to 92 minutes and this videotape professes to be 110 minutes long. Work the math and it would seem 18 of the lost 48 minutes have been restored to this version. Hopefully more of what has been lost will magically pop up in the future.
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