109, 930-935 Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood

[Rayon Vert]

What do people here make of The Devil Is a Woman? To me it's not a keeper - Dietrich here is completely uni-dimensional and the whole thing is more like farce, and not a very funny one, bordering on the tedious at times. All we're left with is Sternberg's visuals.

[knives]

She's only unidimensial in the eyes of the men. The ending is the great depression of that assumption.

[Lowry_Sam]

What do people here make of The Devil Is a Woman?

It's my favorite. The set designs, dress changes for ever scene & Marlene herself are so over the top, that it's the film that epitomizes high camp for me. I'm surprised they didn't ask for a John Waters commentary on this one.

[whaleallright]

Docks is really something else. I'm reluctant to call it his best, even though I kind of think it is, since it almost seems an insult to suggest he peaked so early!

BTW Sternberg is the early archetype of a path that's become cliché since the 1980s: make an independent sucès d'estime as a gateway to a career in Hollywood. He was also ahead of his time in more or less burning out within a decade, when so many others of his generation forged careers that would last half a century.

[hearthesilence]

It's hard for me to name a "best" Sternberg film - none of his masterworks stand out in that way in relation to the others - but Docks of New York is my favorite.

[dustybooks]

I find The Scarlet Empress totally dazzling, audacious, irresistible. (Ironically I enjoy it and Blonde Venus substantially more than the other Dietrich collaborations.) I haven't seen all of Sternberg's works but either Empress or The Last Command is my favorite so far, though I did find Docks achingly beautiful.

[domino harvey]

Criterion should have included the ridiculous soft core porn representation of Dietrich and Von Sternberg bearding for each other in the unbelievably brazen 70s film adaptation of Hollywood Babylon

[nitin]

The Shanghai Gesture is very underrated.

[liam fennell]

I think Docks of New York is probably the most purely beautiful/lyrical of all the Sternbergs, and David Hare I too absolutely consider Salvation Hunters to be an out and out masterpiece (and at least equal to Regeneration or Blind Husbands as far as extraordinary silent debuts go) though I've only seen it in a degraded internet version; particularly impressive/moving for me are the shots of reflections in rippling water and of course the barge arm, which despite being a relentless and indifferent machine is more expressive than the actors!

The past few years I went through a huge Jorge Luis Borges phase and curiously he was crazy about the silents and disappointed with the Dietrich pictures! So I guess it's not an unheard of opinion, that he peaked early. Borges is also the only person in print I've ever seen mention having actually seen the lost Dragnet, which he rated highly and remembered fondly.

That said, the Dietrich pictures, appearing as they do near the dawn of the sound era, are IT for me personally and as such I'd like to just say I'm super mega thankful we have HD versions of these now finally in addition to Anatahan and Blue Angel. Dreams are made of this stuff. Catching up with Anatahan last year finally thanks to the MOC set was also a marvelous experience. Holy cow!

[Michael Kerpan]

I wonder why Salvation Hunters (plugged by Ozu) remains unavailable (in any acceptable form)?

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Edition Filmmuseum released The Salvation Hunters a couple of years back; I haven't seen it myself, but by all accounts it's more than acceptable, unless DVD-only is a complete dealbreaker for you. (There is an HD version from the same restoration circulating unofficially.)

[Tommaso]

And what's more, they've also added the only surviving five minutes of Sternberg's 1929 "The Case of Lena Smith" (and just seeing those five minutes makes one convinced that this must have been a major Sternberg silent!). Haven't seen the Filmmuseum disc yet either, only the HD TV broadcast, which looks great. But Filmmuseum are one of the few labels you can basically trust blindly - unlike Criterion ( sorry for this, but I'm still under the impression of the major disaster that CC's "Tree of Wooden Clogs" is...)

[isakorg2]

The Munich Filmmuseum edition of The Salvation Hunters is more than "more acceptable" - grab it. And also rermarkable is how accomplished Von Sternberg is in his first film.

[Michael Kerpan]

Does on just order direct from the Munich Filmmuseum -- or is there a cheaper alternative?

[swo17]

Check the various European Amazons

[Tommaso]

Or jpc.de. Usually the cheapest for these Filmmuseum releases (at least for the 2-disc ones, which doesn't apply to this particular release, though).

[movielocke]

I'm kind of mad I missed Dishonored years ago, I remember watching Morocco, Scarlett Empress and Shanghai express and then not bothering with the others because while the latter was fantastic, I didn't much like the other two.

on rewatch, Morocco is still completely meh. the first forty minutes are outright superb, and then somehow the movie keeps going for an hour wherein nothing happens, the last hour is so boring it put me to sleep three times, and took nearly four hours over three nights to watch all of it (looping back several times), and I'm still suspicious I might have missed something. But no, it's just meh. Gary Cooper can at least hold the screen with her, as she blows everyone in Dishonored off the screen.

Dishonored was astounding though, A great little proto-spy thriller with a surprising ending, and Dietrich owning everybody. shame the title makes it sound like a spurned woman torrid affair movie or some such. I figured for years it was a rehash of Morocco. nope.

[whaleallright]

As for burning out, surely you dont think so poorly of Anatahan. Or Shanghai Gesture for that matter.

No, I didn't mean to disparage those later films, although I don't think they're the equal of his earlier work. I just meant that Sternberg wasn't able to sustain a career in the way that many of his peers were.

[movielocke]

Morocco looks incredible, I must say, the opening track shot. the play of light and shadow, the z axis space of every shot is just incredible, and the clarity of the image and dynamic range of the exposures (speaking as a black and white photographer, not an HDR fanboy) is absolutely jaw dropping. My last viewing of Morrocco was in 2003 or 2004 on a muddy and well worn VHS tape with no contrast or depth to the image at all, visually, this set has knocked my socks off so far.

My last viewing of Shanghai express was an SLP-taped off TCM VHS, so my mind is sort of boggled at what I might expect.

[Drucker]

Halfway thru the set, and my second time watching most of these films. Morocco is admittedly a bit slower than the other two, but can you chalk that up to its earliness as a sound film? I can think of other films of this era that can be as stiff at points. There are times when this one feels like one of its contemporaries, but Dietrich's performance elevates the film. I also love dopey Gary Cooper here. Are there other films where he's so obtuse?

My sense is that the films actually seem to get better and richer as they go on, in part because Dietrich gets, more vicious as the films go on? Perhaps that's not the right word. In Morocco and even Dishonored she spends a decent amount of time actively "pursuing" a gentleman. In Shanghai Express however, she plays more games with him. Though they end up together in the end, there is a attitude-ridden coldness to Dietrich. She's willing and eager to play games and drive the man crazy.

If I remember correctly, there's a ton more of that in Blonde Venus and Scarlet Empress. The more Dietrich gets to be Dietrich, the better I suppose. Also, good lord is that PQ on Dishonored stellar.

[Feego]

I also love dopey Gary Cooper here. Are there other films where he's so obtuse?

This is one of my favorite Gary Cooper appearances in film (I feel that wording might be more appropriate than "performances.") Cooper is not among my favorite actors, and I typically find him utterly lifeless when he's not working with directors who understood how to use him (Capra, Hawks, Mann). Von Sternberg brings out qualities in him I've never seen elsewhere. He's aimless and lost, but in a very desirable way. A man cut off from the rest of the world and caught in a crossroads. This is far from the straight-arrow hero he usually portrayed for less imaginative directors (the exceptions I mentioned earlier found ways of undermining or complicating this characterization). I've never seen him more aloof or sexy. I have yet to delve into this set and it's been a few years since last viewing these films, but I actually thought Morocco was the best at the time, if not necessarily the most spectacular. There's something about the exotic location not representing the geographic Morocco but rather a hazy, romantic state of mind for its main characters that really appealed to me. It's a locale to which emotionally lost people are spirited away, and I think much of its effectiveness is not in anything that Cooper and Dietrich actively do, but in the way von Sternberg captures them.

The ending is an absolute knockout for me as well, and one that makes excellent yet subtle use of sound for an early talkie.

Spoiler

On my first viewing, I remember watching as Dietrich joins the other women following their soldiers through the desert. The sound of the desert winds blowing on the soundtrack had a haunting effect, and as I knew the film was about to fade out to "The End," I found myself hoping that the wind sounds would carry through even after the fade-out. As this was from 1930, my hopes weren't high, but it was nirvana when they did just that!

[Drucker]

Totally on board with your feelings about the ending, which until the recent re-watch was the only thing I could really remember.

Earlier in this thread David Hare scoffs at the notion of realism in these films, and nowhere is that more effective than in the non-American locales for the films. We're constantly given people crossing borders, who are either traveling or in the military, or are somewhere away from home. In that opening scene of Dietrich on the boat in Morocco, where she seems to appear from nowhere, and we have no idea where she is going...that's a mood that resonates in almost every film in this set. Von Sternberg does such a good job of using the "foreigness" of the films as a character, we sort of believe everything is equally possible. Are there really women who follow military men in the dessert? A counter-revolutionary group holding up trains in China? Austrian spies? There probably is a factual basis for a lot of what VS does, but it plays out so spectacularly as a fantasy that would never work if the films were set in the US.

[Michael Kerpan]

I very much liked the "slowness" of Morocco -- and also thought Cooper was wonderful in this (not sure whether I prefer him here or in Design for Living).

[Drucker]

The second half of this set is a far cry from the first. Having gone through everything, it feels as though the first half of this set really features films that are meant to really be Dietrich vehicles. In hindsight, they really come off, regardless of quality, as being ways to show how sexy and sensual Dietrich can be.

The second bunch of films are far more "traditional" stories as far as I'm concerned. Blonde Venus is remarkable. Marshall is GREAT as usual, the plot works well, we get a more standard Hollywood plot with some beautiful visuals and great suspense. There is redemption at the end. Dietrich for the first time in these films is put in a desperate situation. I liked this film a lot more upon this watch than I did the first time I watched it. I felt that everything really clicked and the film rises to the stakes it sets for itself.

With historical epoch Scarlett Empress I have to say I was a bit let down. I loved this film the first two times I watched it, but not so much this time. The best thing about these films is how empowered Dietrich is. The way she toys with emotions in Shanghai Express is delicious. But she spends half of this film cowering in fear, afraid of what she is allowed to do. The film is also just a bit slower than the rest, and the visual set-pieces don't match up for the lack of execution here. I'm sure there's a huge amount of camp value for those who love that stuff, but there's just a few things that are out of place. The heir to the throne isn't dumb enough. Dietrich's revenge isn't vicious enough. I do however like the queen, as well as Count Alexi, who really rises above the fray here to give us that ridiculous character we expect from these films.

Throwing every trick he's got in this picture, Devil Is A Woman is wonderful. So rich, so over the top. Close-ups of doom galore. The most pathetic man we've seen yet, and Dietrich at her most vicious. An absolutely sumptuous film that's a fitting end to the set.

[Werewolf by Night]

I'm making my way through the set this week and thought I'd share some quick thoughts on the supplements:

Interviews:
• Janet Bergstrom (skip it - it's way too long and she mostly recaps what happens in particular scenes and makes some fairly obvious Film Appreciation 101 comments)
• Homay King (watch it - she's got some great insights and details to impart, particularly about Shanghai Express, orientalism, and Sternberg's complete lack of interest in historical accuracy)
• Director Josef von Sternberg’s son, Nicholas (maybe watch it - it's mostly warm personal recollections)
• Deutsche Kinemathek curator Silke Ronneburg (there are a couple of these, actually. Maybe watch them. She speaks in German, volubly and swiftly, but she shows off a lot of cool stuff from Dietrich's personal archives, including her wardrobe)
• Costume designer and historian Deborah Nadoolman Landis (watch it - it's short, and she's extremely enthusiastic and knowledgable. Plus, she's Mrs. John Landis and she designed Michael Jackson's iconic red jacket from the "Thriller" video)

New documentary about actor Marlene Dietrich’s German origins, featuring film scholars Gerd Gemünden and Noah Isenberg (watch it - it's very informative and engaging. You learn a lot about emigré Hollywood)

New documentary on Dietrich’s status as a feminist icon, featuring film scholars Mary Desjardins, Amy Lawrence, and Patricia White (watch it maybe - depends on your tolerance for feminist film criticism and queer theory. I mostly enjoyed it, though)

The Légionnaire and the Lady, a 1936 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of Morocco, featuring Dietrich and actor Clark Gable (unless this is your first Criterion purchase, you should already know if you like these or not)

New video essay by critics Cristina Álvarez López and Adrian Martin (skip it - Sorry Adrian Martin fans, but this is awful. It's seriously just a half-hour clip-reel [ooh, look, here are several shots of Dietrich walking through doors] interspersed with on-screen text quotes in academese. But if you like kogonada's videographic criticism, you'll probably like this, too)

The Fashion Side of Hollywood, a 1935 publicity short featuring Dietrich and costume designer Travis Banton (watch it - very entertaining, full of clips of costume and lighting tests, and you'll get a lot of smiles out of Kathleen Howard's narration. I spent the whole evening repeating her finishing-school pronunciation of "chiffon" (SHEE-faww) in my head and grinning. Directed by Sternberg, apparently)

Television interview with Dietrich from 1971 (a must watch - Dietrich comes off as warm, vulnerable, humble, hardworking, admiring of the achievements of others. It’s the perfect counter-narrative to the chilly, forbidding image of her constructed by Sternberg and even some of the other supplements)

"If It Isn't Pain" (song deleted from The Devil is a Woman - audio only) - (listen, I guess. It's 2 1/2 minutes long)