Le Plaisir (1952)

 Max Ophuls' "Le Plaisir"


I feel as though there was far more to Max Ophuls 1952 film "Le Plaisir" than meets the eye. However, I was not in the right state of mind to notice. It's never a good idea to watch a film when you have too much going on around you. That being said, I was still fascinated by this film and wanted to mentally dive in more than I did. 

The film centers on three separate stories, each circling the dramatic theme of 'pleasure.' The first and third act as a sort of prologue and epilogue to the longer, more expansive second story. The first is a quick account of an elderly man who attends balls while donning the mask of a much younger man. The second is a more extensive story recounting a trip taken by a group of madams from a brothel. They visit a small village in which one of their nieces is attending her First Communion. The prostitutes are moved by the ceremony, but all any man around them ever cares about is getting frisky with them. The final story is another quick story that tells the tale of a married couple and how they ended up staying married for so long despite their initial hostility.

I think the main praise for "Le Plaisir" centers on Max Ophuls' impeccable direction. Ophuls' roving camera seems like a work of magic, as the way he is able to capture moving shots looks impossible. As far as the story is concerned, I felt that I need to re-watch it again in order to really sink my teeth into the thematic connection to the concept of 'pleasure.' It was interesting to see the various incarnations of what derives pleasure and how those pleasures affect everyone in the story. By trying to locate these ideas, I found the very fabric of humanity and our baffling ways of existence held within the story. It didn't quite sink over me in the way I would've liked, but it was intriguing nonetheless. 



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