La Ronde

An everyman plays several roles in this film. In his role as narrator of the story presented, he is aware that he is in a movie, he often breaking that fourth wall. In that role, he spends much of his time operating a carousel to match the story that he is about to tell which has at its core a round. He also dons several, what he calls "disguises", inserting himself in the story often acting as the puppet-master to manipulate the characters to do what is truly in their hearts, and to move the story along to ensure that it doesn't get stalled by the stray activities of any one character. The story, which takes place in 1900 Vienna, is about the pursuit of love. The narrator will not feel that the story is complete until the circle, or the round, has been achieved. The story begins with Leocadie, a prostitute, negotiating, on the streets, the terms of her potential encounter with Franz, a soldier; who, in turn, has a chance encounter at a dance hall with Marie, a chambermaid; who, in turn, meets, in a new working assignment, Alfred, the amorous yet shy on the surface son of her employers; who, in turn, has an on-going clandestine relationship with Emma Breitkopf, a society matron; who, in turn, embarks in "pillow talk" about their relationship with her long standing well-off husband, Charles Breitkopf; who, in turn, has dinner in a private room of a restaurant with Anna, a working class girl; who, in turn, has a hotel encounter described by Charles as their fantasy next encounter, but instead with Robert Kuhlenkampf, a poet; who, in turn, goes backstage at a theater to meet up with a longtime friend, Charlotte, an actress; who, in turn, is visited in her boudoir by a fan who saw her perform, he a count; who in turn, on a drunken spree, falls into the arms of a prostitute named Leocadie. In this one regard, the narrator is satisfied in that the circle of love of has been completed.