The Marquise of O Movie Review

Eric Rohmer's The Marquise of O is based on a 17th century book by Heinrich von Kleist and very much evokes the paintings of that time; every sequence of this beautifully photographed story would be suitable for framing. Rohmer paces his tale in a leisurely, deliberate manner; it is extraordinary that he injects passion and down-to-earth fun in such a staid subject. He is able to achieve this partly by his scrupulous attention to period details of the early 1800s, and mainly by the ease with which he renders his heroine's strength.

1976 102m/C FR GE Edith Clever, Bruno Ganz, Peter Luhr, Edda Seipel, Otto Sander, Ruth Drexel; D: Eric Rohmer; W: Eric Rohmer; C: Nestor Almendros.