Ophuls employs his male characters to embody patriarchy in his films. He was most successful with Andre in Madame de... The viewer could not only recognize patriarchal authority, but also could understand why Andre became increasingly abusive to his wife. Smith, in Caught, was too extreme, and was hard to identify with. Perhaps, his characterization is to show that Leonora really did marry for money. Donnelly (Reckless Moment) and Stefan (Letter From an Unknown Woman) are both feminized; hence, their attractiveness to women. Stefan sometimes seems more helpless than Lisa and Donnelly is surprisingly soft, for a man who blackmails people. Ophuls' films are very clear; the more engaged a man is in society (patriarchy), the more controlling and insensitive he is to his counterpart.
A Real Man
Andre plays his societal role as a "man" perfectly. He never shows any emotion and is always the picture of self-control and power. When M. Remy first visits Andre with the returned earrings, canons explode, a military band plays a march and the walls are decorated with painted olive branches. Andre humors his wife in her lie about the earrings and does not start to reveal his true emotion until he notices that she has fallen in love. Thus, with great difficulty he tells her how he truly feels. He would be a cruel man if he controlled her just for the sake of his position; however, for Andre it is more than his pride that is hurt, he feels some kind of love for Louise. When he confides in Louise, that conjugal bliss “is superficially superficial”, in a very round about way he is trying to tell her that she means something to him. Even when he closes the windows and expresses his respect and admiration for her, he adds, “and I love you”. If it is truly the case that he loves her, the film is more tragic because then both Louise and Andre acknowledge their love when it is too late.
The Extreme Patriarch
Smith Ohlrig is a difficult character to sympathize with. He is always evil. In fact, when Leonora claims that she loved him, it is hardly believable. Throughout the film, he does not have two kind words for his “charming” wife. Smith’s embodiment of patriarchy somehow fails, in that the male character was so extremely controlling that one could not extend his behavior to a masculine norm.
The Gentle Men
Donnelly and Stefan are not true men, in terms of patriarchy. They do not control women, they love them. Both men redeem themselves by sacrificing their lives for women. After reading Lisa’s letter, Stefan acknowledges his role in her life (and death) and to redeem his obliviousness and other transgressions, he gets in the carriage with his seconds and rides to his death. Likewise, Donnelly seeks redemption for his life of crime, by saving Lucia and her family.
Ophuls, who was making his most popular films in the 1950s and 60s, was ahead of his time in his interpretation and assessment of the power relations between men and women. Even now, his depiction of patriarchy and masculinity is refreshing and relevant.
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