My Favorite Josef von Sternberg Film

Many directors and stars struggled to traverse the shift from silent to sound pictures, but one pair managed the transition with relative ease.  Austria's Josef von Sternberg found success in silent films in the '20s, particularly for his crime films. His first sound picture, the German film "The Blue Angel," was where he first met Marlene Dietrich, and the two would go on to make a run of six pictures together for Paramount over a five year period.  It's difficult to talk about Dietrich and von Sternberg's careers separately, since it was von Sternberg who helped create Dietrich's magnificent screen presence, and Dietrich who proved the perfect subject for von Sternberg's particular screen style.   

Their big Hollywood debut after the success of "The Blue Angel" was the romantic drama"Morocco," designed to be a star vehicle to launch Dietrich as a major Hollywood player.  Dietrich plays a cabaret singer who falls in love with Gary Cooper's dashing young French Legionnaire, when they meet in Morocco during the '20s. And there's absolutely no doubt that it is Dietrich's picture, as von Sternberg spent the bulk of his efforts on presenting her in the best possible light, quite literally.  Von Sternberg's films are distinguished by their technically accomplished cinematography, especially the intense and dramatic use of shadows and light. In "Morocco," von Sternberg and cinematographer Lee Garmes took pains to only shoot Dietrich from certain angles, with lighting above or behind her, to emphasize certain features of her face.  

Much has been written about Dietrich's screen mystique and von Sternberg's obsession with perfecting it.   And that's understandable, as there is no question it was the vital element in all the films they made together, especially "Morocco."  The film is a template for nearly all their subsequent pictures - an exotic locale, a few sultry song numbers, a tragic ending, and plenty of atmosphere.  Dietrich always plays a woman of questionable reputation, but one who is independent and worldly, almost always some kind of glamorous performer. Von Sternberg was always more concerned with style over substance, with sensuality and romance over plot.  He portrayed Dietrich as an icon of feminine power and allure. In their later pictures like "Shanghai Express" and "The Scarlet Empress," his cinematography would become even more complex and expressionistic, the image of Dietrich more heightened and grandiose.

I prefer her here, however, as the lighthearted, playful singer, Amy Jolly.  In the pre-code era, von Sternberg and his longtime collaborator, screenwriter Jules Furthman, were able to push some boundaries with regards to the depiction of onscreen sexuality.  Nowhere is this more apparent than with Dietrich's mesmerizing appearance in top hat and tails during the nightclub sequence, and her open flirting with a woman in the audience. This was part of a cabaret performance piece, an impersonation of masculinity that nobody took much offense to, but there's still a thrill in seeing Dietrich and von Sternberg getting away with the gender subversion.  That touch of androgyny and mystery would become part of Dietrich's persona for the rest of her career.    

As a romance, "Morocco" succeeds almost in spite of itself.  Von Sternberg had no interest in what Gary Cooper was doing whatsoever, leading to some famous behind-the-scenes clashes.  The two did not get along, fueling von Sternberg's reputation for being difficult. Nevertheless, Cooper managed to be a memorable presence in "Morocco," which few of Dietrich's male co-stars in her subsequent von Sternberg pictures could claim.  Cooper and Dietrich display wonderful screen chemistry together, and their repartee is lovely. There's also the interesting wrinkle of Amy Jolly being simultaneously pursued by an ineffectual rich suitor played by Adolphe Menjou - who many have pegged as a stand-in for von Sternberg himself.

Over the years, many of the Dietrich and von Sternberg movies haven't aged well, and many elements come off as much sillier or over-the-top than intended.  "Morocco" is no exception, but it's held up better than most. The performances are still charming, the humor still endearing, and Marlene Dietrich is still as intriguing onscreen as ever.  The ending, where our heroine walks off into the desert to follow her Legionnaire, is totally absurd, but still deeply moving. It works because it's Dietrich - or rather, because it's Dietrich directed by von Sternberg.          

What I've seen - Josef von Sternberg

Underworld (1927)

It (1927), (uncredited, with Clarence Badger)

The Docks of New York (1928)

The Blue Angel (1930)

Morocco (1930)

Shanghai Express (1932)

The Scarlet Empress (1934)

The Devil is a Woman (1935)

The Shanghai Gesture (1941)

Anatahan (1953)

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