In late 19th century France, the Countess Louise, wife of a wealthy general, sells the earrings her husband gave her on their wedding day to pay off her secret debts, then claims to have lost them. Her husband quickly learns of the deceit, which is the beginning of many tragic misunderstandings, all involving the earrings, the general, the countess, and her new lover, the Italian Baron Donati.
Yikes, but this is a classy and vivacious adaptation of de Vilmorin's novel of just why marriage isn't (or shouldn't be) for everyone. It all starts when the comtesse "Louise" (Danielle Darrieux) has to sell some jewellery to settle debts of which her husband - a renowned general "André" (Charles Boyer) is unaware. Now this action sets in train a chain reaction that sees these earrings provide a conduit for a story of lust, deception and duplicity as both parties find themselves caught up in some extra-martial relationships and coincidences that ultimately lead to misunderstandings and tragedy. It's a wonderfully internecine story that, though maybe having a slight overdose of serendipity at times, is really effective at demonstrating just how one lie can have an unpredictable domino effect with far reaching ramifications! Ably aided by a strong performance from Boyer, Vittorio De Rica as the baron "Donati" and Lia Di Leo's powerful contributions as "Lola", Darrieux is on great form here as the story unfolds - she even manages a song amidst the emotional chaos she has (inadvertently) caused. The attention to detail gives the production a lavish look to it and at times the writing is remarkably observant and potent - especially from Boyer. It's a love story that is almost entirely devoid of sentiment, walks a thin line between cruelty and generosity and I really enjoyed it.