Lola Montès
© 1955 Gamma Films – 2008 Les Films de la Pléiade – Les Films du Jeudi – Marcel Ophuls
She has a mountain named after her, is often referenced in artistic works and even has a soap opera character named after her: she is the famous Lola Montez, and her story was immortalised in Max Ophüls' lavish period drama, which took its name quite simply from hers, Lola Montès.
Though renown for her fiery, sensual Spanish dancing, Montès was actually born in Ireland. Her family lived in India before settling in Britain after her mother re-married following the death of Lola's father.
Lola's indomitable spirit and flammable temper were evident from a young age, as were her exotic looks. She eloped at the tender age of 18, with a Lieutenant. After spending five years together, she left him, and started working on her stage career.
She would spend her life courted and supported by a succession of notable men, including composer Franz Liszt, and Ludwig I of Bavaria.
Her association with prominent men made her the subject of much speculation and scorn. She was considered, as were many women who performed on the stage, to be nothing more than a courtesan, a moral reprobate. As with anyone whose biography consists predominantly of rumours, surprisingly little is known about this tempestuous woman.
It is this notion of Lola that Max Ophüls explores in Lola Montès. We see very little of Lola interacting with the world. In fact, she seems frequently to be passing through it. The emphasis appears to be on how people respond to her.
This is an ingenious move on Ophüls part. There are times when our vision of Lola is obstructed: in one scene in which Lola is talking with Ludwig, we see a rope swinging in the foreground. In another scene, set in a circus, we see a large novelty crown being raised and lowered by stagehands. Frequently, we are seeing Lola through, behind, or around other objects.
Martine Carol was criticised for her supposedly wooden portrayal of Lola. But seen in this other context - that of an impassive women upon whom men acted, and about whom the world made moral pronouncements, her performance seems quite appropriate.
The now popular "flashback" format which Ophüls adopted for telling her story, had to be abandoned, as audiences apparently didn't understand the to-ing and fro-ing of the narrative.
In fact, the film suffered a number of cuts and compromises, so it is with great appreciation that we can now view the film as Ophüls had intended: both in terms of the content, and its presentation.