Despite Marlene Dietrich insistence for years that The Blue Angel in 1930 was her screen debut, she made close to 20 silent films in Germany. Near the end of the silent era, her fame rose appreciably due to this sophisticated, erotic thriller love triangle -one that could easily have been made by G W Pabst or even Josef von Sternberg. Translated for the screen from a 1927 novel, the fluid, modern direction melds beautifully with cinematographer’s lingering odes to expressionism, proto-noir and romantic tragedy.
The Woman One Longs For 1929 Germany directed by Kurt (Curtis) Bernhardt Also starring Uno Henning & Fritz Kortner
A young businessman’s plans for marriage undergoes a disturbing shift when he glimpses an alluring, mysterious woman on a train-a woman who seems to be mysteriously tied to a rather sadistic man. He becomes obsessed with her and deserts his wife, leaving their honeymoon plans in tatters. As he follows this captivating woman, his mind is consumed with plans to get rid of the man so he can be with her. As with all things, nothing is quite what it seems-is Dietrich victim or victimizer?
Here you’ll see the foundation of the Dietrich mystique-the eyes, the cheekbones, the camera lingering on her famous legs whenever possible, the sexual tension that arises whenever she interacts with a man. In the end, the Dietrich character remains an enigma neither wholly innocent nor femme fatale, foretelling the future for Dietrich characters for the rest of her career.
Preceded by: Cinderella 1922-an exquisite silhouette animated film from Germany’s pioneering animator Lotte Reiniger
Live accompaniment by Bill O’Meara
Live accompaniment by Bill O’Meara
Festival runs April 14-16.
