Lola Montès (1955)

The film tells the tragic story of Lola Montès, a great adventurer who becomes the main attraction of a circus after being the lover of various important European men.

Director:

Max Ophüls

Writers:

Cécil Saint-Laurent (based on the novel by: "La vie extraordinaire de Lola Montès"), Max Ophüls (scenario),

Stars:

Martine Carol, Peter Ustinov, Anton Walbrook

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Martine Carol	...	Lola Montes
Peter Ustinov	...	Circus Master
Anton Walbrook	...	Ludwig I, King of Bavaria
Henri Guisol	...	Horseman Maurice
Lise Delamare	...	Mrs. Craigie, Lola's mother
Paulette Dubost	...	Josephine, The maid
Oskar Werner	...	Student
Jean Galland	...	Private Secretary
Will Quadflieg	...	Franz Liszt
Héléna Manson	...	Lieutenant James' Sister (as Helena Manson)
Germaine Delbat	...	Stewardess
Carl Esmond	...	Doctor (as Willy Eichberger)
Jacques Fayet	...	Steward
Friedrich Domin	...	Circus Manager
Werner Finck	...	Wisböck, The artist

Storyline

The film tells the tragic story of Lola Montès, a great adventurer who becomes the main attraction of a circus after being the lover of various important European men.

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Plot Keywords:

circus | munich germany | riot | red balloon | illusion | 

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Taglines:

She lived too intensely and far too well!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Sophie Dulac Distribution [fr]

Country:

France West Germany

Language:

French German English

Release Date:

23 December 1955 (France)

Also Known As:

The Sins of Lola Montes

Filming Locations:

Hohentauern, Austria

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$12,569 (USA) (10 October 2008)

Gross:

$107,264 (USA) (20 February 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gamma Film, Gamma Film, Florida Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Restored version) 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Max Ophüls' final film, and his only film in color.

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Goofs

When the Circus Master first tries to recruit Lola, he lists San Francisco as an important North American city, and includes Buffalo Bill in a list of major circus figures. This scene is set shortly before Montez left for Bavaria, so it must be late 1845 or early 1846. San Francisco was called Yerba Buena until 1847, and the name Buffalo Bill was first applied in the 1860s to William F. Cody, who was born in 1846.

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Connections

Referenced in Shoot the Pianist (1960)

User Reviews

Cirque de Celebrity

Watching "Lola Montes" often feels like rollerskating up and down hilly streets lined with sumptuously designed department store windows. At other times you would swear that Josef von Sternberg made a 50s comeback in color, so packed are the frames and so obstructed are the sightlines; the only thing missing is the Sternbergian close-ups. Then you might wonder if Bertolt Brecht had a hand in the screenplay, so alienated are we from the emotional core of this woman's life.

The film seesaws between a circus act starring the middle-aged title character (Martine Carol) and flashbacks to her past. In the circus setting, ringmaster Peter Ustinov presents a series of impossibly lavish tableaux which depict points in Montes's scandalous life. The flashbacks include her first marriage, her dalliance with King Ludwig I of Bavaria (Anton Walbrook), and her relationship with a Bavarian student (Oskar Werner). In reality, Montes never appeared as the star of such a circus act, but this film's creators have chosen to present her life in these terms in order to cast her as a metaphor of the celebrity freak, no different in essence from a circus animal who jumps through hoops or a daredevil who engages in public spectacle. She is almost always seen from a distance, as if to emphasize her actual insignificance. The parallels to our contemporary celebrity culture are obvious.

But beyond this commentary on celebrity and the technical virtuosity of the busy sets and panning camera, there is nothing much here. There is certainly no compelling drama. The central character is so distanced from the viewer that she can only be grasped as a concept, not as a human being.

And I have to agree with others that Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge" comes to mind, but even that endless Carnival Cruise Ship commercial had a clear central love story.