Review of Lola Montès (1955) by X. T — 24 Oct 2008
My first experience with Ophüls convinces me that he is a master of the long fluid take aesthetic as much as Sternberg and Mizoguchi. The film travels back and forth between Lola's memories of episodes of her past life and her present as a gaudy circus show attraction which ironically is a caricaturisation of her life and quite a fitting metaphorical, self-reflexive depiction of her rise and fall, as well as serving to call into question the truthfulness of Lola's portrayal of herself.
The dual narratives allows Ophuls to compress what could easily been a 3 hour epic into under 2 hours while satirizing celebrity culture (Andrew Sarris calls Sarah Palin the new Lola) as Lola's sexual conquests are exploited mercilessly by the circus.
In a way this film is a bit overwhelming to digest, as the dense compositions and gorgeous camera movements are hard to be savored in such a fast paced film.
This review of Lola Montès (1955) was written by X. T on 24 Oct 2008.
Lola Montès has generally received positive reviews.
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