MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Up 2,386 this week

Madame Bovary (1949)

7.0
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 7.0/10 from 1,334 users  
Reviews: 30 user | 11 critic

A provincial doctor's wife's romantic illusions about life and social status lead her to betray her naive husband, take on lovers and run up ruinous debts.

Director:

Writers:

(screenplay), (novel)
0Check in
0Share...

Related News

Harry Morgan: 1915-2011
| IMDb News
The Camera Moves #2
| MUBI
The Golden Donkey Locarno 2011
| MUBI

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 1742 titles created 1 month ago
 
a list of 74 titles created 3 months ago
 
a list of 2470 titles created 26 Jul 2011
 
a list of 102 titles created 08 Mar 2012
 
a list of 34 titles created 09 Jun 2011
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: Madame Bovary (1949)

Madame Bovary (1949) on IMDb 7/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Madame Bovary.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. See more awards »
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
Alf Kjellin ...
Leon Dupuis (as Christopher Kent)
...
Frank Allenby ...
Lhereux
...
Mme. Dupuis
...
Mayor Tuvache
...
Hyppolite (as Henry Morgan)
George Zucco ...
Dubocage
...
Felicite
...
Roualt
Henri Letondal ...
Guillaumin
Esther Somers ...
Mme. Lefrancois
Edit

Storyline

French author Gustave Flaubert is on trial for writing the "indecent" novel "Madame Bovary." To prove that he wrote a moral tale, Flaubert narrates the story of beautiful Emma Bovary, an adulteress who destroyed the lives of everyone she came in contact with. Written by Daniel Bubbeo <dbubbeo@cmp.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

doctor | trial | author | adulteress | debt | See more »

Taglines:

Whatever it is that French women have ... Madame Bovary had more of it! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Romance

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

23 January 1950 (Sweden)  »

Also Known As:

Madame Bovary und ihre Liebhaber  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Sound System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Breen Office opposed the movie, saying that it had too many controversies and innuendo; everything from the makeup to the kissing scenes had be washed down a bit to pass the censors. See more »

Quotes

Emma Bovary: You scoundrel!
Lheureux: I beg your pardon?
Emma Bovary: You monster!
Lheureux: It's hardly becoming, Madame Bovary, for a woman of your character to start calling names. I've tolerated your conduct for too long. The things I've witnessed! The cheating, the lying, the insatiable greed! What ininquities! What sordid passions! Your child and husband deceived! All morals abandoned! Every loyalty forsworn while you indulged yourself with any man that came your way!
Emma Bovary: Oh, dont! Please!
Lheureux: And now you call me names. I am in the business ...
See more »

Connections

Version of Madame Bovary (1947) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
Masterful adaptation (if not entirely faithful)
30 April 2007 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Madame Bovary is a difficult piece to translate to film. It is very easy for the heroine to become either dislikable: either willfull (the PBS version with Francesca Annis) or peevish (the Isabelle Hubert french version).

What Minnelli so masterfully and ironically captures here is the "dream machine" that drives Madame Bovary (and society) to be dissatisfied with their daily lives, to want and need more and therefore to be perpetually unhappy with what they have. Of course, Minnelli was part of that machine for Hollywood, which is the irony. Here he uses the period-correct analogy of romance novels and magazine ads (and to a lesser extent operas and plays) as vehicles that feed and drive Bovary's dissonance with her reality. (James Mason as Flaubert, too!)

The irony that Flaubert was faulted for denegrating the french woman is fully captured here as well. This version still doesn't get to a real meaty statement of realization that men were not considered immoral or corrupt it they have affairs and forget about their children; but women were. Personally, I think that may have been one of Flaubert's real points - this same behavior would have been tolerated and venerated in a male.

Where this production succeeds so brilliantly over the others I mentioned is in the writing and performance of Emma. She is clearly delineated as being a victim of the commercials of her time - the ultimate consumer, and therefore very identifiable. Jone's own personal charm also factors in here. Her fresh innocence and desire to be liked and to entertain come through the role and make her sweeter. Annis is often a bit self satisfied and Hubbert ice cold, making their Emmas less likable, although perfectly valid and well performed roles, just the difference that writing, production and acting bring to the role.

Minnelli liked women and identified with foibles. He gives a very nice slant to Dr. Bovary, too. (Gives him a little more self knowledge and honor than Flaubert did, which also colors the relationship and the film.) Louis Jordan as her dream man is also colored very nicely here, as being sincerely in love with her and very conflicted. Something he does very well, and this all creates a marvelously satisfying production and package. When you add the great score, you have a very fine film indeed.


20 of 24 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
What a supremely selfish woman!!!! SusanJL
why make the novel into a film? phil_manic
Emma Bovary's ball gown boudica10
Is Jennifer Jones in the court scene at the end? JB-36
Anyone Notice? xQUIETxBLUESx
Hippolyte's faux operation ahall-3
Discuss Madame Bovary (1949) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?