Max Ophüls
Known for
Max Ophüls was a German-born director who worked across Germany, France, Italy, and the United States, celebrated for an elegant, fluid visual style built around sweeping camera movement. La Ronde and Le Plaisir, made after his return to France following Hollywood exile, showcased his gift for tracing romantic entanglement through long, intricately choreographed takes. The Earrings of Madame de..., often cited as one of the most gracefully directed films ever made, and Lola Montès, his final and most extravagant work, pushed this fluid camera style to its fullest expression. Forced to flee Germany after the Nazi rise to power, Ophüls carried a distinctly European sensibility across every country he worked in, and his camera technique remains a direct reference point for directors such as Stanley Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Max Ophüls
24 Directed
Max Ophüls was a German-born director who worked across Germany, France, Italy, and the United States, celebrated for an elegant, fluid visual style built around sweeping camera movement. La Ronde and Le Plaisir, made after his return to France following Hollywood exile, showcased his gift for tracing romantic entanglement through long, intricately choreographed takes. The Earrings of Madame de..., often cited as one of the most gracefully directed films ever made, and Lola Montès, his final and most extravagant work, pushed this fluid camera style to its fullest expression. Forced to flee Germany after the Nazi rise to power, Ophüls carried a distinctly European sensibility across every country he worked in, and his camera technique remains a direct reference point for directors such as Stanley Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Movies
Director
Lola Montès
1955
Director
Caught
1949
Director
Letter from an Unknown Woman
1948
Director
The Earrings of Madame de...
1953
Director
Le Plaisir
1952
Director
La Ronde
1950
Director
The Reckless Moment
1949
Director
Laughing Heirs
1933
Director
The Trouble with Money
1936
Director
Yoshiwara
1937
Director
The Tender Enemy
1936
Director
The Exile
1947
Director
There's No Tomorrow
1940
Director
Liebelei
1933
Director
Everybody's Woman
1934
Director
The Bartered Bride
1932
Director
The Company's in Love
1932
Director
From Mayerling to Sarajevo
1940
Director
Love Story
1933
Director
The Novel of Werther
1938
Director
Divine
1935
Full Filmography
Lola Montès
Director
1955
Film
The Earrings of Madame de...
Director
1953
Film
Le Plaisir
Director
1952
Film
La Ronde
Director
1950
Film
The Reckless Moment
Director
1949
Film
Caught
Director
1949
Film
Letter from an Unknown Woman
Director
1948
Film
The Exile
Director
1947
Film
L'école des femmes
Director
1940
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Max Ophüls still alive?
Max Ophüls passed away on March 26, 1957 at age 54.
What are the most famous roles of Max Ophüls?
Max Ophüls is best known for directing Letter from an Unknown Woman, The Earrings of Madame de..., Lola Montès.
How many movies has Max Ophüls directed?
Over a 26-year career (since 1931), Max Ophüls has directed or written 24 films and worked on 0 TV shows.
What was Max Ophüls's first movie?
The career of Max Ophüls began with I'd Rather Have Cod Liver Oil (1931).
What is Max Ophüls's most recent movie or series?
Max Ophüls's most recent release is Lola Montès, which premiered on December 23, 1955.
Max Ophüls
1902-05-06 · Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany
Maximillian Oppenheimer (6 May 1902 – 26 March 1957) — known as Max Ophüls — was an influential German film director who worked in Germany (1931–33), France (1933–40), the United States (1947–50), and France again (1950–57). He is best known for his smooth camera movements and complex tracking shots. Many of his films are narrated from the point of view of the female protagonist. In addition to the American romantic melodrama Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), the French productions La Ronde (1950), Le Plaisir (1952), The Earrings of Madame de... (1953) and Lola Montès (1955) are among his best-known works. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States.