The Structure of La Ronde
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“The Structure of La Ronde”
The play La Ronde, created by Arthur Schnitzler in 1897, is made up of ten acts that explore the sexual interactions of ten individuals. Each scene centers on a different character pair, all of whom are lovers. Except for the prostitute, who appears in both the opening and last scenes, each character in the play appears in two scenes (Schnitzler, p. 34). The play is designed in such a manner that it loops as the characters tie each scene together all the way to the conclusion, when the prostitute joins the last and opening scenes together, bringing the play back to its beginning. This loop pattern is used by Schnitzler to convey his skepticism in 1890s societal norms (Schnitzler, p. 62). It was not socially acceptable at the time for people of various classes to mix, and it was especially not acceptable for individuals of different classes to be lovers together, since the wealthy married wealthy people and the poor married poor people. Schnitzler confronts this societal norm by linking characters from various walks of life throughout the play's loop structure, reflecting Schnitzler's belief that it was a regular occurrence in reality.
La ronde's structure is a subtle delight, deceptively light but purposeful. Some may refer to the narrative excerpts as Ophuls prepared a buffet of amuse bouche, a collection of little delights that tease the taste senses but provide little nutrition. They don't seem to be capable of much under their own. When you mix them all, you've got a feast on your hands, with the beginning sampler offering more than enough food for supper. When one of the couple members working in a female, boy, girl, boy rhyming scheme breaks away from his or her beloved, he or she moves on to the next, presenting the companion who will lead on to the next pair, and so on until we reach the beginning. The prostitute encounters the warrior, the soldier has an incident with the girl at the ball, the girl at the ball is now the maid to a horny young wealthy boy, the horny young rich guy has an extramarital affair, and so on up the social hierarchy until a snobby count raises a vain starlet to sleep with the same prostitute who previously enticed the lower-ranking combatant into the shadows for a brief fling.
Among these ever-changing loves, there is one constant: a storyteller known as the meneur de jou, or ringmaster. He is portrayed by Anton Walbrook as the all-seeing personification of La ronde. By traveling around and around on the carousel wheel, he adds to the story's loop by passing the same spots over and over. This merry-go-round is meant to resemble a diorama of the larger tale, complete with decorations that correspond to the many characters and an operation that depicts the love affairs' success. If it accelerates, so does their progress; if it slows, they are unable to perform.
Walbrook is also the officer on his route, according to the accounts. To begin each dance, he triggers the music or, in certain circumst...