Ophuls' last film depicts, through flashbacks, the life of a famous courtesan, recounted as part of a lavish circus act. Clowns and acrobats dance and ride across the arena floor as the ringmaster (Peter Ustinov) invites the audience to ask Lola (Martine Carol) whatever questions they choose, no matter how personal, regarding her life. Ophuls suggests that unabashed sensuality and uncompromising love cannot survive for long in the modern world, as Lola admits: "I have lived too much, loved too much. It's over...." If Lola is a fated creature, the dynamic beauty of Ophuls' wide-screen compositions and camerawork suggests that the romance which she represents is eternally meaningful.