Max Ophüls
Max Ophüls | |
|---|---|
| Born | Maximillian Oppenheimer 6 May 1902 |
| Died | 26 March 1957 (aged 54) |
| Resting place | Père Lachaise Cemetery |
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| Citizenship |
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| Occupation(s) | Director, Writer |
| Years active | 1931–1957 |
| Spouse | Hildegard Wall (m. 1926) |
| Children | Marcel Ophuls |
Maximillian Oppenheimer (/ˈɒpənhaɪmər/ OP-ən-hy-mər, German: [maksiˈmiːli̯aːn ˈʔɔpn̩ˌhaɪmɐ]; 6 May 1902 – 26 March 1957), known as Max Ophüls (UK: /ˈɔːfəls/ AW-fəlss, US: /ˈoʊfəls/ OH-fəlss, German: [maks ˈʔɔfʏls]) or simply Ophuls, was a German and French film director and screenwriter. He was known for his opulent and lyrical visual style, with heavy use of tracking shots, and his melancholic, romantic themes. The Harvard Film Archive referred to Ophüls as "a supreme stylist of the cinema and a master storyteller."
A refugee from Nazi Germany, Ophüls worked in Germany (1931–1933), France (1933–1940 and 1950–1957), and the United States (1947–1950). He made nearly 30 films, the latter ones being especially notable: The Reckless Moment (1949), Letter from an Unknown Woman (also 1949) La Ronde (1950), Le Plaisir (1952), The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) and Lola Montès (1955).