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, her husband buys them back to give to his mistress. She, in her turn, sells the earrings in South America, to a diplomat (played by Vittorio de Sica) on his way to France. In Paris, this diplomat meets Madame de... and, desiring to give her a token of his love.... In this story of a life compromised by a pair of earrings, Max Ophuls (Lola Montes, Letter from an Unknown Woman, Le Plaisir) utilizes his famed fluid style - swirling camerawork, elaborate crane shots, baroque interiors, and elaborate costumes - to create a deceptively lavish canvas for exposing the ironic hypocrisies and bittersweet aftertaste of romance. (JB)