LE PLAISIR

France, 1952, 93 minutes, Black and white.
Claude Dauphin, Gaby Morlay, Danielle Darrieux, Daniel Gelin, Madeline Renaud, Pierre Brasseur, Jean Servais, Jean Gabin, Simone Simon, Amadee.
Directed by Max Ophuls.

Le Plaisir is a film by Max Ophuls. The celebrated French director (La Ronde) spent some time in the United States and made the thrillers The Reckless Moment and Caught as well as the classic Letter From An Unknown Woman. This film is a collection of three short stories from Guy de Maupassant. They focus on different aspects of love, pleasure, suffering, death. There is an excellent French cast which includes Claude Dauphin in the first story, Jean Gabin and Danielle Darrieux in the second and Daniel Gelin and Simone Simon in the third.

1. The work of Max Ophuls? His French perspective on human nature, manners and morals?

2. His cinema style? Black and white photography, moods, tableau? Musical score? Light and shadow, darkness?

3. The stories of de Maupassant? His interests, voice-over commentary?

4. The Story of the Mask: The inn, the dancing and its verve, the old man masked and his joy in dancing, the commentary on his behaviour, his collapse, the help of the doctor, his being taken home, his being revealed as old, his wife and her comments, memories, his desire to keep young? The doctor's response and his return to the dance?

5. The Story of the Brothel: Period, 19th century, Normandy, the town, the brothel, the owners, the men, the verve? Finding it shut? The women and their dressing up, going on the trip? The journey to the First Communion? Travelling in the train, the salesman, the woman and her disapproval, the travellers? The groom and his meeting them? Their coming to the town, in the family, their behaviour? Their participation in the religious ceremony? The importance of the First Communion? The rituals? For the girl making her Communion? Their enjoying the visit, the effect, the return? Everything back to normal? De Maupassant's comment?

6. The artist and his lover: the theme of love and death, the artist, his model, their relationship, tensions, the friend? The clashes, the planned marriage? The emotional response of the woman, her hurling herself from the window? her injury and the artist's devotion to her?

7. A French perspective on human nature?