This is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. It's use of the circus as a vehicle to chronicle this woman's tragic life is contrived but beautifully executed, and the movie only suffers slightly from the rather wooden performance of the lead. It works because the tragedy is the objectification of her by man after man. Tough to watch in today's woke times.

With the 2008 restoration that made the film the closest to Ophüls' original concept and vision, Lola Montes is mesmerizing! Shot in beautiful Technicolor and showcasing the wonderful settings and beautiful locations Lola Montes looks just as amazing as Martine Carol does portraying her. Max Ophüls' last film and the only one in color, he uses the Technicolor to great advantage and adds even more depth to his striking compositions. Deep, complex and with extreme emotion and drama throughout there is no way to take your eyes off the screen. Recommended.

Lola Montes is a decent film. It is about the tragic story of Lola Montès, a 19th century dancer and courtesan. Martine Carol and Peter Ustinov give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Max Ophuls did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the drama and romance.

Lola Montes is far from being a masterpiece, but nevertheless it showcases Opuls's mastery of colors, long takes, and set design.

Watching my way through Danny Peary's book Cult Movies. Found the historical flashbacks pretty dull, the weirdo scandal show intriguing, and the whole thing just a little bit confusing. Peary's essay adds two noteworthy points: -that "Ophuls's women...exist in a world of impermanence, of transition", matched my the constant movement of the camera (which called a lot of attention to itself, I thought, and added some interest). -that Lola is revived to make her dive BY the comment that men will be paying to kiss her hand afterward, "her final victory". I didn't pick up on that watching it, but the movie makes a bit more sense that way.

A shockingly beautiful and humanizing film. It's amazing how empathetic the film is to its protagonist Lola- portrayed quite literally to the rest of the world as a man-eating beast, displayed at the circus to pay for her sins. But as we see through flashbacks, Lola is a tragic figure, betrayed by love and simply drifting through life, trying to keep her dignity. She's only ever tried to be truthful both to her men and herself. Beautifully shot film with fantastic color. I love the surreal circus displays and her wonderfully over the top outfits. There's a lull in her last memory of Germany, but for the most part it's a well paced and certainly fantastically (and revolutionarily) structured film.

this is La Vie En Rose meets Moulin Rouge, but not nearly as entertaining as either.

Max Ophüls is a Master filmmaker whom I only recently discovered, and "Lola Montes" is now the 2nd movie of his that I've seen. The print was painstakingly restored and the film looks absolutely amazing on Blu-ray. I really liked the framing device for the story which is told in a series of flashbacks. The sets and costumes are outstanding, as is the cinematography. If you are a serious film-lover, seek this movie out!

A very interesting framing for a bio-pic, but I couldn't help thinking about Tom Lehrer's song "Alma" throughout the entire thing.

This is sumptuous, exacting film with fluid camera movements detailing the sensational life of real life bon vivant Montes. The title character's life plays out in a series of flashbacks that are poignant and poetic. Beautiful production design reminiscent of the films of Visconti. The drawback of the big production scalae is that Montes seems somewhat distant and artificial. I still think this film is extraordinary (if not my favourite by this masterful auteur who clearly viewed unconventional women with respect and admiration).

A vertiginous spectacle beyond compare. Lola herself is a cipher with Martine Carol utterly insipid in the role but that's the way Ophuls wanted it perhaps - the proverbial blank slate upon which the audience can conjure up their own projected image. It's a masterpiece anyway with Ustinov in top form as the polymathically perverse circus ringmaster and the neverstill camera recording a magnificent universe of infinite detail and wonder. In one word - dizzying.

Filmed in 1955 and restored with stunning colors...this is an adaptation of the life of Lola Montez...she was way ahead of her time...the movie is in French with English subtitles...a must see

On par with The Red Shoes as one of the most visually dazzling films ever produced, and its also a delightfully abstract and dreamlike take on the biographical film.

Most of the critics say that the stony performance by the lead actress is perfect for what the director had in mind, and that the lighting, sets, and direction make this a beautifully constructed film. The latter it is, but I can't buy into the excuses being made for the main character's actress' monochromatic performance. There are probably few films that were composed as artfully as this one, by 1955, when it was made. But this sort of artistic consistence in film is commonplace now. For example, ":The Life of Pi" has more visual heft than this film in the first 45 minutes, and there have been many more like it since Lola Montes was made. That said, Lola Montes *is* from 1955, so it was no doubt amazing to see at that time. If you are good at keeping that sort of context in mind, then indeed - Lola Montes will be an amazing film to watch. Just ignore the main character and concentrate on the sets and direction.

(*** 1/2): [img]http://images.chrc4work.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] A gorgeous and interesting film.

amazing technicolor bio-pic

I believe this is one of the top 20 greatest films ever made. Not only in my personal sense, but as far as accomplished/literate films go. If any director attempted to even use the basic concept of the film (with the circus act), it wouldn't have been a film that would've mattered, let alone a great one. But, Ophuls completely makes it much more complex than expected. When that happens to this film, it needs a pitch-perfect sense of proportion. Obviously, that has been achieved beyond recognition. Like all great films, it has it's complete balance of a general and personal perspective on things. Enough about it's masterful construction, I could go on for days. Going into this film, most should know that the cinematography is going to be extraordinary. Max Ophuls has been known for his pristine track shot, which hasn't worn a bit for this film. And what the camera captures is astounding. It is a symphony of beauty, that last every second throughout the film, literally. What really shows how great this film is, is that the cinematography doesn't outweigh the film itself, like so many other films have. Though, this film is the epitome of a visual films. I feel "Madame De..," (even though I've been praising this so much, "Madame De..." is even better of a film [top 5 greatest ever]) is the closest the French will come to "Citizen Kane". But, "Lola Montes" has something on "Madame De...", which is it's addition of color. It isn't just the fact that it is color, it's the whole concept of it. Being Ophuls' only color film, it shows his urge to explore this new element, and it couldn't have been more beautiful. Another side note, Ophuls' constantly perfect leading actresses, and I believe that Martine Carol just might be the most intriguing of the bunch. I know I am blandly expressing my love for this film, but I believe it is underestimated in cinema, and urge every insightful cinephile to watch this.

10/25/22 - 1001 movies to see before you die. I didn't realize I have seen this already, I wouldn't have bothered otherwise. I watched this on Internet Archives and the subtitles were missing here and there, so I didn't fully get a lot of the story. Regardless, it is a unique way to tell the story and it had some strong themes that made a it a good movie. I of course loved learning about some characters in history like Franz Liszt and the King of Bavaria. I don't plan on seeing it again. 7/8/12 - The odd telling via the "circus" did not always seem effective. Regardless, it was a well made and informative of a lesser known figure. 3.5/5

Luscious color photography and gliding camera shots ruined by a bland leading lady.

Un film clairement en avant de son temps.