Max Ophuls and screenwriter Jacques Natanson adapt three stories by Guy de Maupassant, about the joys, frustrations, and fleeting glories of a life of pleasure, and like “La Ronde” before and the following “The Earrings of Madame De…”, the sweeping camera work and spectacular set designs perfectly complement the amorous subject matter. In “Le Masque” an old man dons a plastic mask that makes him look youthful to dance around in a Parisian dance hall; “Le Maison Tellier”, the longest of the three films at nearly 60 minutes, follows a brothel of prostitutes to the countryside for a first communion, where Jean Gabin is enchanted by Danielle Darrieux; and in “Le Modele”, artist Daniel Gelin has a tempestuous love affair with his live model, Simone Simon, who threatens suicide if he marries somebody else. Each story has its own charms and peculiarities, but of the many amazing tracking shots, the opening flourish of “Le Maison Tellier”, as the camera sweeps up and around the brothel following Darrieux as she closes up shop, is one of the greatest single take crane shots of all time. Criterion’s new DVD treatment doesn’t feature a commentary track, but nearly 75 minutes of archival interviews and critical analysis of the screenplay and themes is plenty.