Max Ophüls

Max Ophüls (May 6, 1902 – March 25, 1957) was a German-born film director. He was born Max Oppenheimer in Saarbrücken, Germany. For his work in the German theatre and film industry he used the pseudonym Ophüls, but later the umlaut was dropped occasionally when he worked in France and the United States. The credits of Letter from an Unknown Woman from 1948 list him as Max Opuls.

Works

His first Hollywood film was the Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. vehicle The Exile (1947), once established he went on to direct Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Caught (1949), and The Reckless Moment (1949) before his return to Europe.

Related Topics:
Hollywood - Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. - The Exile - Caught - The Reckless Moment

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Back in France he directed and co-wrote his two best works La ronde (1950), which won the 1951 BAFTA Award for Best Picture, and Lola Montes (1955) as well as two other fine films (Le plaisir (1951) and Madame de... (1953)) which capped his career. All his works feature his distinctive smooth camera movements, complex crane and dolly sweeps and tracking shots. His most widely imitated technique involves the camera moving in a circle about a stationary subject.

Related Topics:
La ronde - BAFTA Award for Best Picture - Lola Montes - Le plaisir - Madame de... - Tracking shot

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