Lola Montès (Blu-ray)
(The Criterion Collection, 2.16.2010)One of the greatest film directors, Max Ophuls created at least two masterpieces: Letter from an Unknown Woman and The Earrings of Madame de. Legend has it his final film, Lola Montès, is also a masterpiece, but it has been difficult to verify that claim. After a disastrous Paris premiere in 1955, the film’s producers attempted to increase its commercial viability by cutting scenes and remixing the sound. At the end of 1956, it was further re-edited, which some argue may have hastened the director’s death in 1957. In 1968, producer Pierre Braunberger bought the rights and re-edited Lola Montès into something approximating the original version... but with washed-out visuals. Using digital technology, the Cinémathèque française created a completely restored version, now released on Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection. Was the 55-year wait worth it? Certainly. Is Lola Montès another Ophuls masterpiece? Probably not.
