La Ronde (Roundabout) (1950)

100% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(657 ratings)

An exercise in style, La Ronde was one of the few films of the 1950s to contain overtly sexual themes. The story is a series of character vignettes, set in Vienna in the early 1900s and held together by a narrator (Anton Walbrook). As the title implies, both the story and the film's visual motifs… More An exercise in style, La Ronde was one of the few films of the 1950s to contain overtly sexual themes. The story is a series of character vignettes, set in Vienna in the early 1900s and held together by a narrator (Anton Walbrook). As the title implies, both the story and the film's visual motifs are circular. Director Max Ophuls uses an old-fashioned merry-go-round to foreshadow the film's events, in which each segment introduces a new character, who has an affair with a character from the previous scene. The film demands that the audience pay attention to the structure, to the interplay among the characters, and to the opulent visual elements; and the effect is synergistic delight, in which the viewer is engaged both visually and intellectually. Because it was filmed in black-and-white, La Ronde does not have the garish look of some of Ophuls' other films, notably Lola Montès. La Ronde is among the few foreign language films to receive multiple Oscar nominations, for Black & White Art Direction and Best Adapted Screenplay. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Max Ophüls
Written By: Max Ophüls
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1950 Limited
On DVD: Sep 16, 2008

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
max Ophuls's merry-go-round narrative, based on Schnitzler's famous play, is exquistely directed and played by best actors of Frenhc cinema: Darriuex, Signoret, Barrault.
Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online
... a film of sparking wit, visual grace, continental sophistication and elegant poise.
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
A somewhat disappointing package of a truly lovely film.
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
Each vignette conforms to a tight, outgrowing pattern, so that they each have equal weight, even if Danielle Darrieux's first segment is the one that lingers in the mind.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Never seems more than whimsical.
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Visually brilliant, innovatively told drama.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
[Ophuls'] most characteristic movie (a good one to start with for beginners).
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Elegant and lighter than air, La Ronde is a delightful treat.
Gabe Leibowitz, eCinemaCenter.com
Charming as can be, but with a dark underbellly that belies it.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cindy I

A sexy and charming film by Max Ophuls about the circle of love, symbolized by a carousel. Anton Walbrook is a narrator of sorts, or maybe a one-man chorus, who leads us through a chain of events where one romance leads to another. This is the 2nd film with Walbrook that I've… More
A sexy and charming film by Max Ophuls about the circle of love, symbolized by a carousel. Anton Walbrook is a narrator of sorts, or maybe a one-man chorus, who leads us through a chain of events where one romance leads to another. This is the 2nd film with Walbrook that I've seen in as many months, and I finding that I enjoy his work a great deal. I'm not a fan of musicals, and when Walbrook started singing in the beginning, I was tempted to turn it off. I'm glad I didn't. Some clever dialogue and a fun scene where the carousel breaks down at the same time that one of the male characters has a...ummm..."equipment malfunction". He gets his groove back eventually, and the carousel begins working again. The film is filled with what seemed to be every known French actress working during that time...Simone Signoret, Simone Simon, Danielle Darrieux. Full of sexual situations (obviously French -- a Hollywood film made in 1950 would NEVER have been this racy and open), so watch it with someone you love.
Stella D

a lovely dance where partners are constantly changing. i can't really imagine this as an american film, especially in 1950!
Dimitris S

The blooming interactions of couples,romantic,idealistic,majestic.Fragmentary affairs,juxtapositions in lifelong particles.The question is,do we really accept those 6 degrees of separation or the carousel will embrace us all.