In Vienna at the turn of the 20th Century , a transcendent guide (Anton Walbrook) leads us on a journey of love as a prostitute meets a soldier who happens upon a young maid who romances a young man, and on and on until the tale comes full circle. Max Ophuls' "La Ronde" is an ornate, gorgeously staged and sexually frank adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's play. Walbrook, along with much of the cast, is charming and Ophuls adds some nice touches along the way, never making the film anything less than dazzling. However the threadbare, connect-the-dots plotting makes this film seem as inconsequential as many of the hyperlink movies do today.
