Summary
In the opulent, suffocating corridors of high-society domesticity, Gerald Fitzgerald—a man of significant means and burgeoning mid-life restlessness—finds himself adrift in the tempestuous wake of his wife, Lisa. As a prima donna of international renown, Lisa is less a spouse and more a meteorological event, her existence defined by the histrionic flourishes of the operatic stage which she unapologetically imports into their private quarters. Gerald, yearning for the placid waters of a more conventional companionship, seeks solace in the arms of a woman whose primary virtue is her lack of vibrato. The catalyst for the narrative's psychological chess match occurs when Gerald proposes a formal dissolution of their union. Lisa, returning from a triumphant foreign tour with the aura of a conquering hero, ostensibly acquiesces to his demands with a chillingly graceful compliance. However, beneath this veneer of surrender lies a calculated stratagem. Rather than resorting to the volcanic outbursts Gerald expects, she pivots to a weaponized subtlety. The apex of her counter-offensive is a meticulously orchestrated dinner party—a theatrical performance where she invites Gerald and his paramour to share her table. Through a series of brilliant maneuvers and the deployment of her formidable 'woman's wiles,' she exposes the banality of Gerald's new affection while reigniting the smoldering embers of his original passion, ultimately reclaiming her husband through the sheer force of her curated persona.
Synopsis
Wealthy and middle-aged Gerald Fitzgerald begins to tire of his wife who is an extremely temperamental and romantic opera singer and believes he has found another woman who suits him better. He endeavors to arrange with his wife for a divorce. She agrees, but returns home from her foreign opera tour. The situation brings her face to face with the fact that she really loves him but with a woman's wiles she adopts a more subtle method. When she finds that her policy of agreeing with him is having its effect, she cleverly arranges for a dinner party and invites him to bring the other woman. She makes every situation work to her advantage and presses her advantage after dinner with the final result that she wins her husband back.
Review Excerpt
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Cinema in 1922 was a medium grappling with its own burgeoning sophistication, a period where the primitive energy of early shorts gave way to the nuanced psychological architectures of feature-length dramas. Enter Madame, directed by Wallace Worsley and adapted from the stage play by Gilda Varesi Archibald and Dorothea Donn-Byrne, stands as a fascinating specimen of this evolution. It is a film that navigates the precarious boundary between high-society satire and genuine domestic pathos, anch..."
