Women Behind Bars
Images in Ophuls Films Portray Women's Oppression
Ophuls repeatedly presents images of bars superimposed on his female protagonists. Whether it be the banisters of a staircase or the gates at the railway station, the implication of women’s imprisonment by society is very clear. The imbedded message seems to be that the institutions of society restrict women from expression and power. Women have a very small paradigm that they may function in. Their realm is the mansion and they are wholly dependent on their husbands financially. In these four discussed films, all the female protagonists suffer imprisonment by their society, as well as, by their husbands.
Hearts in Prison
Once Louise (Madame de...) realizes that she is in love with Donati, Louise retires to her bed and claims that she wants to go away. Her husband, Andre responds by closing all the windows, in essence imprisoning her in the house, and exclaims, “We’ll face the foe together”, like the true general he is. Despite Andre expressing his love and respect for Louise, it is evident that he wants to possess her not just physically, but emotionally. The more Louise reveals her love for Donati, the more Andre tries to confine her to their marriage, quite similar to Stauffer’s reaction to Lisa’s love for Stefan in Letter. Both husbands, to guarantee the ownership of their wives, challenge their wives’ lovers to a duel. Even though the husbands only want to regain control over their wives emotionally, in killing their wives’ lovers, they kill their wives too. Ophuls demonstrates this by showing Lisa and Louise dying at almost the same time as Stefan and Donati.
Leonora has aspirations to marry well. She goes to charm school, and becomes a model. Despite fulfilling her fantasy of meeting a rich man modeling, Leonora finds herself a prisoner in the huge mansion of her wealthy husband, Smith Ohlrig (similar to the wife of Citizen Kane). Her husband, Smith, is the model controller; in conversation with his psychiatrist he repeats, “I must destroy everyone I can’t own.” This sentiment is repeated by Franci when Leonora is pregnant; “You know you’re a big man but you’re not a big enough man to destroy that girl.” When she tries to divorce Smith, he threatens to take her baby, whereby she succumbs and retires to her bedroom never to emerge. Thus, Leonora learns very well, what it means to marry well and to live in prison.
Conformity is Prison
Lucia (Reckless Moment) is more imprisoned by societal norms than her husband. We never see her husband throughout the film, though we see her constantly trying to conform to her role as wife and mother, trying to be “humorous and tolerant.” Just before the death of Darby at the boathouse, Lucia’s son wishes her goodnight and turns off the light in the hallway. From a light downstairs, the shadows cast by the banisters form prison bars along the wall of the bedrooms. This image is repeated after Donnelly’s death when she emerges from her bedroom in tears to speak to her husband calling from Berlin. While on the phone, Lucia is framed by the banisters, showing that she is imprisoned by patriarchy (marriage), and conformity. On the ferry ride to Balboa, Donnelly asks Lucia two striking questions, “Do you never get away from your family?” and “You are quite a prisoner, aren’t you?” to which she responds, “I don’t feel like”, but by the telling look on her face, perhaps she does.
Max Ophuls films commonly have female protagonists and are well-known for their feminist perspectives. Ophuls depicted women's plight in most of his films including the aforementioned films; Madame de..., Caught, Reckless Moment and Letter From an Unknown Woman.
Barbara Bel Geddes in Caught
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Film & TV
Latest Articles