From Mayerling to Sarajevo

“One of Ophüls’s most neglected and finest works.”—Robin Wood

Max Ophüls’s career led him from Europe to Hollywood and back again; along the way he created some of the most beautiful, emotional, and pleasurable films that cinema has ever seen (La ronde and The Earrings of Madame de…. among them). This seldom-screened masterwork follows the love affair of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Czech Countess Sophie Chotek, who marry against the wishes of the court and are later assassinated in Sarajevo. Ophüls relishes the absurdity of court life while delighting in its elegance. His famous camerawork is equally elegant, fluidly describing the rigorous repression that the lovers face. (90 mins., 35mm) The film screens in conjunction with Cinevent, Columbus’s annual gathering of cinephiles and collectors. Cinevent 47 takes place May 22–25; visit cinevent.com for more information.