In France of the late 19th century, an aristocratic woman known only as “Madame de…” sells a pair of earrings given to her by her wealthy husband in order to pay some debt. This sets off a chain reaction of financial and carnal consequences and misunderstandings that can end only in despair.

A masterpiece of swooning romance, Max Ophüls’s cinematic waltz glides through the lavish cage of opulence, unveiling the intense longings that simmer beneath a gilded existence. Journeying across the hierarchies of class and wealth, the infamous earrings symbolize love, betrayal, and so much more.