LA RONDE
Anton WALBROOK · Simone SIGNORET
‘Enchanting’ Channel4.com
Anton Walbrook is the enigmatic, omnipotent master of ceremonies guiding us through a series of amorous encounters in the Vienna of 1900. One fleeting moment links to the next, partners change and the dance goes on, turning like the waltz and the carousel until the final vignette brings the story full circle. Featuring some of the greatest names in French cinema, Max Ophuls’ wonderful adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s play was honoured with a BAFTA for ‘Best Film’ as well as
Oscar® nominations.
Max Ophuls is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most revered directors in the history of cinema. His trademark array of lavish, fluid camera movements would influence generations of filmmakers to come. Among the many who have praised his genius are François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick (who believed ‘his camera could pass through walls’) and more recently directors such as Todd Haynes and Paul Thomas Anderson who called him his ‘idol’.
SPECIAL FEATURES
• ‘Circles of Desire’ Alan Williams
on Max Ophuls’ La Ronde
• Commentary by Susan White, author of
‘The Cinema of Max Ophuls’
• Photo gallery
