Everything I read about this movie says it's a masterpiece. The trailer looks amazing and I'm ready to buy it next Tuesday sight unseen...but I really trust IMDB and 7.3 is not a high enough rating for me to purchase a movie I've never seen. Is this movie flawed? What keeps it from getting an 8???
You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might find you get what you need.
If you're interested in discovering a wide array of film, disabusing yourself of that trust in IMDB ratings is a good first step.
"Lola Montès" is indeed a masterpiece. The Criterion edition is stunning, and it is absolutely deserving of a blind buy.
Thanks. I do have an interest in a wide array of film - some of my favorite movies got less than a 7. Lola Montes on blu ray will soon be in my DVD player.
You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might find you get what you need.
So, now that a little time has past, have you watched the Criterion DVD of this masterful film? What did you think of it?
What a shame that this would be Mr. Ophuls' last film. Lola Montes is enlessly watchable, one of the most thrilling examples of framing, composotion, and color of all time. A lovely film.
Hope you enjoyed it.
But it lacks compelling storytelling and it has a absolutely wooden actress as lead... Truffuat said that cinema is wonderful b/c it is a flawed medium and this film proves it, the brilliant composition, color, and cinematography doesn't make it a watchable film to anyone but film enthusiasts.
shareIt would be an 8 if it only had a few explosions, car wrecks, and fart jokes. James Cameron or the Farrelly Brothers could've tweaked this baby to fame.
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Yeah, ignore the rating, it is a masterpiece. Ophuls best film (and that's saying something) and one of the greatest swan songs in cinema. Here's a few of my other favorites:
http://www.best5everything.com/best5ListPages/directorsfinalfilms22461.php
Beauteous Martine Carol isn't very compelling in the lead. However, at the time, I don't know who else would have been a better choice. This is a stunning film, nonetheless, with some of the most breathtaking cinematography and use of Cinemascope ever captured on celluloid.
The flip side of fear is understanding.
Time is not kind to this film. Call me a "victim of the modern age", but this has got to be one of the more over rated films from the 50s. Trite and blatantly block headed metaphors. Intentionally empty 'ACTING'. Self-consciously baroque artistic direction and cinematography that often places objects bizarrely in front of characters faces (and not in any symbolic or significant way, just seemingly lazy. very annoying). It has inarguably been a precursor of sorts to superior films, so for that, I thank it. It functions, at least for me, as more of a 'rulebook' or template than an actively great film. The only reason I'm glad I put in the time to watch it was that I now "get" some of the many references latter films have made to it. Barry Lyndon and even Black Swan (yes, yes, boogie nights too) come to mind, but those films, are, you know, actually GREAT and FUN and great fun . . . respectively. Watching this film felt more like doing homework. It was in no way transporting or transfixing.
share"It was in no way transporting or transfixing."
I disagree with your opinion. I thought it was. I found the film hypnotic and entertaining. This film is truly mind bendingly beautiful (its eye popping art direction and cinematography are unsurpassed). The film is superior to "Boogie Nights" (good but not great) and "Black Swan" (total garbage). I have never seen "Barry Lyndon" but have seen clips. I dislike its soft focus cinematography and light colors (I liked the sharp cinematography in his 2001 with deep and bold colors). It's a surrealistic, dreamlike fantasy of this woman's life. "Lola Montes" aims for art...and succeeds. Stanley Kubrick loved and was inspired by this film as well... A masterpiece.
You haven't seen Barry Lyndon!?!?
We may as well be from different planets. Have you also seen only clips of Citizen Kane?
Black Swan is intentionally 'trashy' genre gold. I understand not liking it, but dismissing it (unsarcastically) as "total garbage" makes me think it doesn't like you either.
I just saw "Barry Lyndon" today on Blu-ray and I thought it was mediocre (visually, I liked "Lola Montes" better). No, I've seen "Citizen Kane". 😉
"Black Swan" is really fun and total garbage (I understood it was intentionally trashy). 😁
Tite.
Barry Lyndon on blu ray is reason enough to live
Self-consciously baroque artistic direction and cinematography that often places objects bizarrely in front of characters faces (and not in any symbolic or significant way, just seemingly lazy. very annoying...
Thanks for that information. I suppose I presumed too much about the intention (or lack thereof) of certain decisions involving the camera placement.
shareI quite enjoy reading about how the director decides to frame the scenes.
Here are a couple reviews that go into quite some detail, discussing the director choices and intentions.
https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1371-loving-lola
http://criterionreflections.blogspot.ca/2010/07/lola-montes-1955-503.html
Thanks
share[deleted]
What a wonderful movie, the camera work is mesmerizing, ignore the imdb rating.
shareThe emotional impact of this film is limited. It's interesting to look at (and one can get pretty enthusiastic in the beginning) but can get a bit dull in the second half and fails to create genuine empathy towards the main character.
The rating is maybe a bit harsh, should be in high 7s instead 7,4.