SOURCE: An introduction to Max Ophuls, in Film Comment, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer, 1971, pp. 57-9.

In the following essay, Sarris defends Ophuls's stature as a major filmmaker of the twentieth century.

One problem with culturally ambitious film criticism is its straining for analogies between cinema and the other arts when, in fact, cinema is not only analogous to the other arts, but swallows them whole in the process. What is mise-en-scène in cinema? The apostles of mise-enscène may argue that mise-en-scène is to cinema as music is to opera. But what happens to this neat analogy between cinematic mise-en-scène and operatic music when we consider the fact that so-called "background" music plays such a crucial role in most movies? The metaphorical music of images must then compete with the actual music of the spheres in the viewing (and hearing) experience. I believe that Max Ophuls'...