A narcissistic countess, whom we shall call Madame de . . . (Danielle Darrieux), is given a pair of earrings by her husband (Charles Boyer), whom she does not love. When she sells them to pay off debts, he buys them back to give to his mistress. She, in her turn, sells the earrings in South America, to a diplomat (Vittorio De Sica) on his way to France. In Paris, this diplomat meets Madame de . . . and desires to give her a token of his love. . . . In this story of a life compromised by a pair of earrings, Max Ophuls utilizes his famed fluid style-swirling camerawork, elaborate crane shots, baroque interiors-and disregard for external time (a waltz lasts many days and as many minutes of screen time) to create a deceptively lavish canvas for love's ironies, hypocrisies, and bittersweet aftertaste.