Roundabout - La Ronde (1950)

Based on Arthur Schnitzler’s play Reignen, Roundabout is one of the most avant garde films ever made, as well as an exemplary adaptation of a stage work. Set in turn-of-the century Vienna, the film is a playful comedy of situations revolving around ten couple’s tales of lust and infidelity bound together by a mysterious omnipotent narrator who speaks straight to the camera and has the power to change the course of events at will. Laden with symbols -such as the merry-go-round- that echo the vicious circle of desire, Roundabout is a bold exploration of sexuality, love and seduction, made with Ophüls’s trademark fluid elegance and charm.

Director: Max Ophüls
Screenwriter: Louis Ducreux, Kurt Feltz, Jacques Natanson, Max Ophüls
Play: Arthur Schnitzler
Cinematography: Christian Matras
Editor: Léonide Azar
Music: Oscar Straus
Principal Cast: Anton Walbrook, Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, Simone Simon

France, Β & W
French, 92’
Format: 35mm