In LA RONDE, the master of ceremonies proclaims, “I adore the past. It’s so much more peaceful than the present, and so much more certain than the future.” The character seems to be speaking for director Max Ophüls himself, whose films frequently visit the past. Ophüls delighted in the rules and conventions of fin-de-siècle Europe as a backdrop to his characters’ messy relationships.
To showcase the shenanigans of LA RONDE’s characters, he pointedly creates an uptight and rigid world — a world of “squares” — that his characters don’t fit into. The film opens with a stunning tracking shot mimicking the never-ending circles referred to in the title of the film.
As the action picks up, Ophüls uses the metaphor of a dizzying, disorienting circle in many ways. The narrative itself is presented in a round, circular structure. LA RONDE is composed of ten vignettes depicting illicit romances and frustrating romantic encounters. The film’s couples are fickle, their desires as whimsical as the merry-go-round that stands conspicuously in the town square.
LA RONDE includes the trademarks of an Ophüls film: the sweeping cinematography and almost cynical view toward love. However, it’s is also Ophüls at his most playful. Very few films successfully balance artistic merit with such a high entertainment factor.
— Diana Martinez, Film Streams Education Director
