In my previous essay I covered a wonderful french anti-war movie masterpiece "La Grande Illusion ". During WW2 and Nazi occupation of France, its director and main star emigrated to USA where they were warmly welcomed and fed by completely unexpected friend - none other than glamorous movie star Marlene Dietrich. Yes, contrary to her screen image, Dietrich was a compassionate mother hen who was taking care of european artists, teaching them english, cooking them european food and introducing them to influential producers. In her memoirs, Dietrich dismisses her Hollywood movies as "kitch" but proudly remembers how she cooked stuffed cabbage for Jean Renoir, Jean Gabin, René Clair and the whole list of others who were closer to her heart than the rest of Hollywood elite. Forever associated with her movie personae of Vamp, Dietrich was by all accounts, strong and complex personality who knowingly used her looks to survive, even if her movie legacy shows her as one-dimensional and superficial.
David Selznick famously said that Sternberg's films dealt with ""completely fake people in wholly fake situations" and its absolutely true that we are not watching Josef von Sternberg's movies for realism - he was a genius of escapism, creating dreamy works that were celebrated for their cinematic magic and beauty. All of his movies with Dietrich have very slim plot line that exist purely to show her celebrated beauty, though I must admit that his meticulous way with filming her makes me wonder why he never worked so successfully with others (he was surely talented enough to make anybody beautiful), in the whole history of cinema I have never seen such obvious admiration and obsession from director towards his star. Was he in love? You bet.
"Shanghai Express" is actually one of the best movies they made together - its almost pity that it had Dietrich in it, because it has interesting story that could have been made differently and used group of passengers on a train as a point towards adventure/thriller. As the train rushes towards the danger, these random characters could turn movie into "Murder on a Shanghai Express", alas that was not Sternberg's intention - he underuses the talented group of supporting actors just to build a platform for Dietrich and her love interest (incredibly wooden and cranky Clive Brook, who is completely unbelievable as love of her life). Once we understand its not about the adventure story but about camera making love to its main star, we can relax and simply enjoy the movie for what it is. True, Dietrich had a face that would launch a thousands ships and yes, she was one of the cinema's all time greatest beauties, however I must mention Anna May Wong who had such strong screen presence that she almost steals the scenes from Dietrich (and all of this with minimum of script,she hardly says a word). Do not look for realism, secret wisdom or deep meaning in Sternberg/Dietrich movies, they are classy and beautifully filmed escapism.
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