''La Ronde'' is a 1950 French film directed by Max Ophüls and based on

Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. Biography Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...

's 1897 play '' La Ronde''. Set in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

in 1900, it shows ten amorous encounters across the social spectrum, from a street prostitute to a nobleman, with each scene involving one character from the previous episode. The French term 'La Ronde' can mean any of the following: circling around, doing the rounds, a round of drinks, a circular dance. The film won the

BAFTA award for Best Film The BAFTA Award for Best Film is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. It has been given since the 1st BAFTA Awards, representing the best films of 1947, but until 1 ...

and was nominated for two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

; for Best Writing and Best Art Direction.

Plot

The master of ceremonies opens proceedings by telling the audience that they will see various episodes in the endless waltz of love. A prostitute takes a soldier under a bridge. The soldier picks up a chambermaid at a dance hall. The chambermaid willingly succumbs to the son of her employers. The young man starts an affair with the young wife of an older businessman. She then has an edgy discussion in bed with her husband. The husband takes a shopgirl to a private dining room and gets her drunk. The shopgirl falls for a poet, who is pursuing an affair with an actress. The actress invites a count to visit her in bed next morning. That evening, he gets drunk and ends up in the bed of the prostitute, so completing the circle.

Cast

In order of appearance: * Anton Walbrook as the Master of Ceremonies * Simone Signoret as Léocadie, the Prostitute * Serge Reggiani as Franz, the Soldier *

Simone Simon Simone Thérèse Fernande Simon (23 April 1910 or 1911 – 22 February 2005) was a French film actress who began her film career in 1931. Early life Born in Marseille, France, she was the daughter of Henri Louis Firmin Clair Simon, a French J ...

as Marie, the Chambermaid * Daniel Gélin as Alfred, the Young Master *

Danielle Darrieux Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux (; 1 May 1917 – 17 October 2017) was a French actress of stage, television and film, as well as a singer and dancer. Beginning in 1931, she appeared in more than 110 films. She was one of France's g ...

as Emma, the Wife *

Fernand Gravey Fernand Gravey (25 December 1905 in Ixelles (Belgium) – 2 November 1970 in Paris, France),Death certificate # 8/445/1970 also known as Fernand Gravet in the United States, was the son of actors Georges Mertens and Fernande Depernay, who a ...

as Charles, the Husband * Odette Joyeux as Anna, the Shopgirl * Jean-Louis Barrault as Robert, the Poet * Isa Miranda as Charlotte, the Actress * Gérard Philipe as the Count

Production

Although at the time of production, Schnitzler's son was still enforcing his father's stipulation that the play — ''Reigen'' (or ''La Ronde'') — should never be performed or adapted, Ophuls was able to secure the rights to it because of Schnitzler's additional stipulation that his French-language translator was to own the rights to the French version.

Censorship

The film was classified by New York film censors as "immoral" and therefore unacceptable for public screenings. At the end of 1953, the film's producers appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and, in 1954, ''La Ronde'' was approved for exhibition in New York without any cuts.

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 8.21/10.

References

External links

* * *
''La ronde: Vicious Circle''
an essay by

Terrence Rafferty Terrence Rafferty is a film critic who wrote regularly for ''The New Yorker'' during the 1990s. His writing has also appeared in '' Slate'', ''The Atlantic Monthly'', ''The Village Voice'', ''The Nation'', and ''The New York Times''. For a number ...

at the Criterion Collection {{DEFAULTSORT:Ronde, La 1950 films 1950 drama films Adultery in films French anthology films Films about prostitution in Austria French films based on plays Films based on works by Arthur Schnitzler Films directed by Max Ophüls Films set in the 1890s Films set in Vienna French drama films French romantic comedy films Best Film BAFTA Award winners Films scored by Oscar Straus French black-and-white films 1950s French films