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Le Plaisir

Jean Gabin (Actor), Simone Simon (Actor), Max Ophuls (Director) Rated:
NR
Format: DVD
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 86 ratings
IMDb7.6/10.0
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DVD
January 5, 2010 		—
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$38.99
$38.99 $28.40
DVD
September 16, 2008
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$74.00 $13.82
Genre Drama
Format Subtitled, Black & White, Dolby, Multiple Formats, Full Screen, NTSC
Contributor Danielle Darrieux, Max Ophuls, Simone Simon, Jean Gabin
Language French
Runtime 1 hour and 37 minutes
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Product Description

Product Description

Roving with his dazzlingly mobile camera around the decadent ballrooms, bucolic countryside retreats, urban bordellos, and painter's studios of late nineteenth-century Parisian society, Max Ophuls brings his astonishing visual dexterity and storytelling bravura to this triptych of tales by Guy de Maupassant about the limits of spiritual and physical pleasure. Featuring a stunning cast of French stars (including Danielle Darrieux, Jean Gabin, and Simone Simon), Le plaisir pinpoints the cruel ironies and happy compromises of life with a charming and sophisticated breeziness. SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:New, restored high-definition digital transfer, Introduction by filmmaker Todd Haynes, English- and German-language versions of the opening narration, From Script to Screen, a video essay featuring film scholar Jean-Pierre Berthome discussing the evolution of Ophuls's screenplay for Le plaisir, Interviews with actor Daniel Gelin, assistant director Tony Aboyantz, and set decorator Robert Christides, New and improved English subtitle translation. PLUS: A new essay by film critic Robin Wood.

Review

Brilliant. --Boston Phoenix

Shot with supreme elegance. --Time Out

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.45 x 5.59 x 7.47 inches; 2.72 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ CRRN1766DVD
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Max Ophuls
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Black & White, Dolby, Multiple Formats, Full Screen, NTSC
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 37 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ September 16, 2008
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Jean Gabin, Simone Simon, Danielle Darrieux
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Criterion Collection
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001BEK8BU
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 86 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
86 global ratings
What's your pleasure? Where will it take you?
5 Stars
What's your pleasure? Where will it take you?
If camera movement and therefore the flow of visuals is a kind of music, then Max Ophuls, more than any other director I know of, is cinema’s Mozart. And as with Wolfgang, Max offers us, leads us on with elegant, eloquently suggestive counterpoint: the relations, sensuous interplay, intertwining of camera movement and the movements of those caught in that flow.Where are they going? From shadow and darkness to alluring bright lights, sometimes under the influence of less noticed shine, until suddenly its absence or presence is felt. On to more well-lit more mannered sophistications, seeking waiting objects of desire, anticipated pleasures. Is there a hierarchy of pleasure-seeking, of desire? A ladder, stairway of love leading to loftier satisfactions? It was in the flow of time past believed so.I know of no finer, although very subtle, teasing, coquettish, more insightful film on French culture’s, and therefore Western civilization’s structure, visionary quest, and, in some regards, climax of the late 19th century. We are offered a Belle Epoque version, amendments aplenty, of a Romantic version of a Christian version of the allegorical journey from Plato’s cave up Diotima’s Ladder of Love. The ascent of desire toward what?There’s a fall and melancholy denouement from which we evidently have not quite recovered.
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Top reviews from the United States

MM
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most beautiful looking movies ever
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2019
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I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It is a great story, has Jean Gabin in it, and is simply stunning- looking. Very 4:20 friendly film.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars So glad to have found it
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2018
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Just divine! So glad to have found it. Beautiful quality.
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T.NAKAJIMA
4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasure in Decadence as They Saw it: See Great Photography
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2004
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[The following is a review about the original French version.]
You may not remember the name of Max Ophuls, whose graceful, sweeping camerawork is elegance itself. Though the contents of his films no longer hold the once-shocking impact, his films are worth watching for its beauty and cool outlook on humanity.
"Le Plaisir" (or "Pleasure") has three parts, all based on Guy de Maupassant's short stories -- "Le Masque" "La Maison Tellier" and "Le Modele."
The first story is about a man who storms into a masked ball. He dances, dances, dances, and then slowly collapses. A doctor is brought, and the past history of the collapsed man is told by his wife. The gorgeous and noisy party makes a great contrast to what is revealed in the latter half.
The second is considerably longer than the other two. It is about the prostitutes who take a holiday to attend to a young country girl's first communion. The sly humor is thrown into the film when the countryfolks mistake their extravagant costumes for the fashionable urban ladies, and the section swings from happy, frivolous mood to the pathos of the lost innocense. Good-natured Rivet played by Jean Gabin is simply great.
The third one is more melodramatic, following the fate of the two lovers: a painter and his model. They pledge the eternal love, but as you expect, the painter slowly gets weary of her. When he runs away from her, the model takes a decision to bring back the love she lost.
The virtue of the film lies in its production designs and camera (the former was Oscar-nominated). The film's floating camerawork is not to be missed (especially the opening of the second section, in which the camera literally floats around the maison), and some of the scenes are still fresh to see. The last but one cut of the third tale is in particular recommended, in which the model's final "decision" is shown in one continuous shot, leading up to the shocking conclusion. I still wonder, "How did they do that?"
No longer as sensual as once supposed, but "The Plaisir" is still a delight to see, especially when you like the ennui mood, and its good photography.
5 people found this helpful
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Lost in Siberia
5.0 out of 5 stars What's your pleasure? Where will it take you?
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2019
If camera movement and therefore the flow of visuals is a kind of music, then Max Ophuls, more than any other director I know of, is cinema’s Mozart. And as with Wolfgang, Max offers us, leads us on with elegant, eloquently suggestive counterpoint: the relations, sensuous interplay, intertwining of camera movement and the movements of those caught in that flow.

Where are they going? From shadow and darkness to alluring bright lights, sometimes under the influence of less noticed shine, until suddenly its absence or presence is felt. On to more well-lit more mannered sophistications, seeking waiting objects of desire, anticipated pleasures. Is there a hierarchy of pleasure-seeking, of desire? A ladder, stairway of love leading to loftier satisfactions? It was in the flow of time past believed so.

I know of no finer, although very subtle, teasing, coquettish, more insightful film on French culture’s, and therefore Western civilization’s structure, visionary quest, and, in some regards, climax of the late 19th century. We are offered a Belle Epoque version, amendments aplenty, of a Romantic version of a Christian version of the allegorical journey from Plato’s cave up Diotima’s Ladder of Love. The ascent of desire toward what?

There’s a fall and melancholy denouement from which we evidently have not quite recovered.
Customer image
Lost in Siberia
5.0 out of 5 stars What's your pleasure? Where will it take you?
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2019
If camera movement and therefore the flow of visuals is a kind of music, then Max Ophuls, more than any other director I know of, is cinema’s Mozart. And as with Wolfgang, Max offers us, leads us on with elegant, eloquently suggestive counterpoint: the relations, sensuous interplay, intertwining of camera movement and the movements of those caught in that flow.

Where are they going? From shadow and darkness to alluring bright lights, sometimes under the influence of less noticed shine, until suddenly its absence or presence is felt. On to more well-lit more mannered sophistications, seeking waiting objects of desire, anticipated pleasures. Is there a hierarchy of pleasure-seeking, of desire? A ladder, stairway of love leading to loftier satisfactions? It was in the flow of time past believed so.

I know of no finer, although very subtle, teasing, coquettish, more insightful film on French culture’s, and therefore Western civilization’s structure, visionary quest, and, in some regards, climax of the late 19th century. We are offered a Belle Epoque version, amendments aplenty, of a Romantic version of a Christian version of the allegorical journey from Plato’s cave up Diotima’s Ladder of Love. The ascent of desire toward what?

There’s a fall and melancholy denouement from which we evidently have not quite recovered.
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9 people found this helpful
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Jay Dickson
5.0 out of 5 stars The great difficulty of having a good time
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2009
Max Ophuls's anthology of three Guy de Maupassant stories all revolve around the same theme of how difficult the pursuit of pleasure is and what must be sacrificed for it. Like of all of his films, the stories all center upon the problems of loving in different ways and showcase his extraordinary gifts with camera motion and mise-en-scene. The first story, "La Masque," is the thinnest of the three, and involves the secret behind a masked man who collapses while dancing with abandon at the Palais de la danse; the third, "La Modele," also seems not much more than a sketched-out anecdote, and concerns the horrifying upshot of a failing relationship between an artist and his lovely model (Simone Simon). The central story, "La Maison Tellier," is the longest of the three stories and by far the best. It may be one of the finest short stories ever filmed for the screen (with other possible contenders being Renoir's 1946 A DAY IN THE COUNTRY, also based on a Maupassant story, and Satyajit Ray's "The Postmaster," in his collection TWO DAUGHTERS, based on a Rabindranath Tagore tale). The bare sketch of the action of this episode involves the madam of a small town's brothel takes her prostitutes to her brother's place in the country for her niece's first communion, while the men back in the town suffer through the unexpected loss of their greatest pleasure in life. Meanwhile, the prostitutes find themselves unexpectedly affected by their change of scene and by the central ritual during their vacation, while the madam's brother (the great Jean Gabin) becomes enamored of one of his sister's women (Danielle Darrieux). When the women return to their town, the townsmen and the prostitutes alike celebrate the return of the normal routine of pleasure.

Part of what makes this central episode so particularly great is that the story's plot cannot do justice to its mysterious poignancies and subtle effects; it assumes the leisurely pace of a weekend vacation itself and doesn't rush things. The episode is genuinely moving, and Ophuls allows the viewer as much sympathy for all the characters, and also shows how pleasure can be made relative by varying contexts (although a peasant woman recognizing the women for what they are in their railway carriage turns her nose up at them after leaving, the brother's countrymen treat the harlots as glamorous visitors from the city and compliment him for bringing them out). All three episodes are worth seeing if only for Ophuls's incredible use of sets and of movement through them. The Palais de la danse sequence that begins the first episode has been much celebrated, as are the crane shots outside the brothel that show the hidden pleasures within that both open and close "La Maison Tellier," and the great POV shot in "La Modele" that brings its action to a climax. There's a very helpful "introduction" that should be seen after the film (instead of before it) by the independent director Todd Haynes, and several interesting other extras.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Stéfan d'Autun
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprenant
Reviewed in France on September 14, 2022
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Très bon film avec une courte apparition de Jean Gabin...
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KaleHawkwood
5.0 out of 5 stars Balls, beds and brushes
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2018
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From the opening moments of the first of three tales based on stories by Maupassant ~ Le Masque ~ cinema magician Max Ophuls sweeps the viewer into a sad, slight anecdote of a man at a jubilant masked ball wearing his own 'mask'. The camera takes us on an eye-pleasuring journey through the various chambers and levels of the palais where the ball is being held, only allowing us actual access when its central character himself enters the building. It's an incredible sequence, and a startling beginning to a film.
Where the first tale lasts a mere fifteen or so minutes, the second ~ La Maison Tellier ~ is much longer, though its plot, as such, is almost as slight. Again, its opening sequence is a cinematic tour-de-force, including the droll frustrations of the group of idling men who have, to their dismay, discovered their Saturday evening haunt {the titular 'house'} is, unusually, closed. The women have gone on a jaunt into the country to help celebrate the first communion of Madame Tellier's niece. What happens there, and the way in which it is shown by Ophuls, is subtly rendered, with the great Jean Gabin featuring as Madame Tellier's married brother, who falls for one of her girls, played by Danielle Darrieux. Madame is played by Madeleine Renaud. A luxury cast, indeed.
The last of the tales, and another brief one ~ La Modele ~ features Daniel Gelin as a painter who impetuously falls for a young woman, played by Simone Simon, who quickly moves in with him . . . true love runs far from smoothly, and matters become quite dark and almost fable-like by the forlorn close of the tale, and thereby the film.
Principal photographer Philippe Agostini deserves much the credit for the bravura look of the film, as does editor Leonide Azar, but it's the genius of Ophuls at one continues to marvel, truly one of the giants of cinema. Le Plaisir is one of his most delightful films, with an enviously impressive cast all at their best.
The extra features include a leisurely, almost hour-long film ~ slightly overlong, I thought ~ taking us back to the French provincial location of the Telllier girls' outing, and also an eloquent 'introduction' to the three films within the film by the brilliant American director Todd Haynes, whose love of Ophuls is obvious.

Joyously recommended.
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MFJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sur toute la ligne !
Reviewed in Canada on February 6, 2013
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Le produit m'a été livré dans le délai prévu. La qualité mentionnée était exacte. Je suis très satisfait et je recommande fortement ce vendeur. Excellent sur toute la ligne !
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TIM BLUE
4.0 out of 5 stars Charming adaptations
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2021
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This release from Arrow Academy features adaptations of three short stories by Guy de Maupassant. They are charmingly adapted by Max Ophuls and feature an impressive array of first-class French actors, including Pierre Brasseur, Danielle Darrieux and Jean Gabin. The three short films are very evocative of the period in which they are set and highlight some of the pleasures and pitfalls of life.
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Peste et Choléra
5.0 out of 5 stars Chef d'oeuvre absolu !
Reviewed in France on June 11, 2014
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J'adore ce film depuis la première fois que je l'ai vu -j'avais 12 ans. Maintenant à l'orée de la cinquantaine, je suis toujours dans l'émotion renouvelée face à cette manière unique de raconter et de filmer. Ophüls possède ce rare talent de rendre le spectateur sensible et intelligent. La Maison Tellier est un modèle de grâce, de finesse et de sensibilité, avec Darrieux divine, Gabin petri d'humanité et Madeleine Renaud d'une cocasserie rare. A emporter sur île déserte avec les Enfants du Paradis et la Règle du Jeu.
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