Le Plaisir (1952)
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Duration: 93 minuten
Alternative titles: House of Pleasure / Pleasure
Country:
France
Directed by: Max Ophüls
Stars: Claude Dauphin, Jean Gabin and Danielle Darrieux
IMDb score:
7,5 (5.860)
Releasedate: 29 February 1952
Le Plaisir plot
Three stories of pleasure. The first story is about a man who tries to hide his old age by going to masked parties and seducing women. The second story is about a lady who takes her girls to the countryside. The last story is about painter Jean who falls in love with his model.
Actors and actresses
Le docteur
Denise - la femme d'Ambroise
Julia Tellier
Madame Flora dite Balançoire
Madame Raphaële
Madame Rosa
Julien Ledentu
Joseph Rivet
L'ami de Jean
Jean
Reviews & comments
Spetie
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- 38871 messages
- 8503 votes
So far, I've liked Max Ophüls twice, and once less so. With this fourth film, he unfortunately manages to even the scales.
Le Plaisir consists of three short stories, each attempting to portray a form of pleasure. The camerawork, which has often been praised here, is certainly impressive. Almost like a ballet dancer, the camera dances along with the movements and people passing by. The first short story is quite enjoyable, but too short. I found the second story less captivating, and that story itself takes a bit longer. There were a few beautiful scenes, but overall it remained too distant and didn't do much for me. I actually liked the third short story the best, especially with that dramatic final scene,which I always have a soft spot for.
But overall, it all just fell short of a mark. The first two stories weren't well-paced, and I never really got sucked into them. The third story did somewhat redeem itself, but I have to conclude that Ophüls has made better films.
2.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Movsin
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- 8358 messages
- 8456 votes
One thing is certain: Ophüls managed to secure a host of top French actors for his 3-story film.
Enough to draw the masses to the cinemas at the time, but the beauty of the film actually lies in its purely visual aspects, the image compositions, the mass scenes (the one in the church is a gem), the creation of the atmosphere.
Strangely, at times the film gave me the impression of coming from an earlier period of cinema.
Anyway, I found the second story the most successful and closest to the concept of "Plaisir." The scene with the "disappointed" men arguing on a bench in the street is very funny.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Sir Djuke
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- 388 messages
- 1089 votes
Watching films is, of course, above all a fun activity, and it helps if every now and then a filmmaker explicitly shows that making them is also a fun activity.
There is no better title than 'Le Plaisir' for Max Ophüls' flamboyant, cheerful 1952 film, for which he adapted three stories by Guy de Maupassant.
Ophüls truly goes all out, especially in the second part, about a group of prostitutes taking the train to a former colleague's wedding. The camera moves up and down, back and forth, and around, like wedding guests on a dance floor. It's virtuosic, and the technique doesn't hinder the characters.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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