Liebelei

(Max Ophüls, Germany 1933, 83 min., 35mm, German w/subtitles)

WWI. This early work from celebrated German director Max Ophüls has all the elegance and sophistication of his later masterworks. Adapted from a play by Arthur Schnitzler, Liebelei is a classic tale of star-crossed Viennese lovers set against the backdrop of invisible World War I, but Ophüls’s impeccable sense of style breathes fresh air into what could have been a fairly ordinary film in less-talented hands. Gorgeous camerawork and intricate set decoration combine to create this uniquely stunning film.