Le Plaisir
Le Plaisir (English title, House of Pleasure) is a 1952 French comedy-drama anthology film by German-born film director Max Ophüls (1902–1957) adapting three short stories by Guy de Maupassant — "Le Masque" (1889), "La Maison Tellier" (1881), and "Le Modèle" (1883).
| Le Plaisir | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Max Ophüls |
| Produced by | Max Ophüls M. Kieffer Édouard Harispuru |
| Screenplay by | Jacques Natanson Max Ophüls |
| Story by | Guy de Maupassant |
| Starring | Claude Dauphin Jean Galland Gaby Morlay Madeleine Renaud Daniel Gélin Danielle Darrieux Simone Simon Jean Gabin |
| Music by | Joe Hajos Maurice Yvain |
| Cinematography | Philippe Agostini Christian Matras |
| Edited by | Leonide Azar |
| Distributed by | Columbia |
Release date |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Le Plaisir was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction, going to Max Ophuls. This was Ophuls' last of two Oscar nominations in his career.
Plot
Le Masque
A masked young dandy goes to an ornate dance hall, where he finds a young woman to be his dance partner. When he faints from the exertion, a doctor is called. He discovers that the dandy's mask hides his aged appearance. The doctor takes the old man home to his patient wife. She explains that her husband Ambroise used to attract the ladies who frequented the hairdresser salon where he worked, but in the space of two years, he lost his looks. He goes out in disguise in an attempt to recapture his youth.
La Maison Tellier
Julia Tellier, the well-respected madam of a small-town brothel, takes her girls on an outing to her brother's village to attend the First Communion of her niece. Her regular patrons are taken aback when they discover the brothel closed without explanation that Saturday night. One finally discovers a sign explaining the reason and is relieved. At the village, everyone is very impressed by the group of elegant ladies who have appeared to support the girl at her First Communion. The prostitutes are moved to tears by the ceremony, as is the rest of the congregation. Julia's brother Joseph becomes infatuated with Rosa, one of her workers, and promises to visit next month.
Le Modèle
A painter falls in love with his model. Things are idyllic at first, but after living together for a while, they begin to quarrel constantly. Finally, he moves in with his friend. She eventually finds him, but he wants no more to do with her. He ignores her threat to jump from a window, and is so guilt-ridden when she does so immediately that he marries her.
Cast
- Le Masque
- Claude Dauphin as the doctor
- Gaby Morlay as Denise, Ambroise's wife
- Paul Azaïs as a dance hall patron
- Gaby Bruyère as Frimousse, Ambroise's dance partner
- Jean Galland as Ambroise
- La Maison Tellier
- Madeleine Renaud as Julia Tellier
- Ginette Leclerc as Madame Flora, one of Julia's girls
- Mila Parély as Madame Raphaële, another of Julia's employees
- Danielle Darrieux as Madame Rosa, another worker
- Pierre Brasseur as Julien Ledentu, a traveling salesman who becomes too fresh with the girls on the train trip
- Jean Gabin as Joseph Rivet, Julia's brother
- Amédée as Frédéric, another whorehouse employee
- Antoine Balpêtré as Monsieur Poulain, a patron
- René Blancard as the mayor
- Mathilde Casadesus as Madame Louise, another worker
- Henri Crémieux as Monsieur Pimpesse
- Arthur Devère as the train conductor
- Paulette Dubost as Madame Fernande, another employee
- Jocelyne Jany as Constance Rivet, Julia's niece
- Robert Lombard as Monsieur Philippe, the banker's son, a patron
- Héléna Manson as Marie Rivet, Joseph's wife
- Le Modèle
- Jean Servais as Jean's friend, also narrator of the French version
- Daniel Gélin as Jean, the painter
- Simone Simon as Joséphine, the model
References
External links
- Le Plaisir on IMDb
- Le plaisir: Life Is Movement an essay by Robin Wood at the Criterion Collection
- "Max Ophul's le Plaisir" at the MOMA website