Today I watched a documentary on Marlene Dietrich titled 'Marlene'. It was produced in 1984 and directed by Dietrich's "Judgment at Nuremberg" co-star Maximilian Schell. I don't know how many of you know this, but Marlene agreed to do the film only if the director was in compliance with her wish not to be photographed, and because of this she does not appear in the film. But her Paris apartment is recreated to give the illusion that the actress is really there. Her voice, however, is used as the narration through the film, which is aided with various clips of her movies, concert performances and newsreel footage.
To begin with, Marlene shows little interest in this whole film -- it's obvious -- and even less interest in the discussion of her movies -- that's, sadly, even more obvious. I'm convinced now more than ever that she never enjoyed working on a movie. Still, it's nice to discover that she is able to remember her experiences with a lot of clarity, sometimes using the German word "kitsch" (worthless) to describe most of her film work; although I may disagree with her on some. Marlene also talks about other things besides her films. Her singing career and personal life are briefly discussed, as well as Jean Gabin, Ernest Hemingway, Josef von Sternberg and her marriage to Rudolph Sieber.
It's a strange documentary that you can't help but like. And not everything you would like to hear (even if you consider them important in her life) is mentioned a whole lot in this; such as the war years, where Marlene's tireless efforts to entertain the allied troops stationed at the front, seemed neglected. I remember hearing Schell saying to Marlene in the beginning of the film that he didn't want this to be a typical A-B-C from childhood to present interview. Well, perhaps it would've worked better had it been that way. Much of it was a mess -- not difficult to follow necessarily -- just may have been easier on Marlene's temper had there been some kind of order to the whole thing. Maybe.
It gets a little heated towards the end of the film. Schell seems to have angered Marlene at one point by pressing her for a comment on one of her movies. I don't know how serious it was after the tape stopped rolling, but she evidently wasn't amused. In the end, it becomes apparent to the viewer how cranky Dietrich is at this point in her life. You could argue that it might have something to do with her age, but I think it has more to do with the fact that she was an incredibly disciplined woman who favored manners and intelligence over such common habits like idle gossip and unpreparedness. In fact, her attitude during this film is so overwhelming to the point where it's just sad. She may sound bitter, but she's a woman worth listening to regardless. Watching this documentary gives Riva's book even more credibility, in my opinion, especially in the final years of Dietrich's life where you wonder if all those incidents you read about were true.
To begin with, Marlene shows little interest in this whole film -- it's obvious -- and even less interest in the discussion of her movies -- that's, sadly, even more obvious. I'm convinced now more than ever that she never enjoyed working on a movie. Still, it's nice to discover that she is able to remember her experiences with a lot of clarity, sometimes using the German word "kitsch" (worthless) to describe most of her film work; although I may disagree with her on some. Marlene also talks about other things besides her films. Her singing career and personal life are briefly discussed, as well as Jean Gabin, Ernest Hemingway, Josef von Sternberg and her marriage to Rudolph Sieber.
It's a strange documentary that you can't help but like. And not everything you would like to hear (even if you consider them important in her life) is mentioned a whole lot in this; such as the war years, where Marlene's tireless efforts to entertain the allied troops stationed at the front, seemed neglected. I remember hearing Schell saying to Marlene in the beginning of the film that he didn't want this to be a typical A-B-C from childhood to present interview. Well, perhaps it would've worked better had it been that way. Much of it was a mess -- not difficult to follow necessarily -- just may have been easier on Marlene's temper had there been some kind of order to the whole thing. Maybe.
It gets a little heated towards the end of the film. Schell seems to have angered Marlene at one point by pressing her for a comment on one of her movies. I don't know how serious it was after the tape stopped rolling, but she evidently wasn't amused. In the end, it becomes apparent to the viewer how cranky Dietrich is at this point in her life. You could argue that it might have something to do with her age, but I think it has more to do with the fact that she was an incredibly disciplined woman who favored manners and intelligence over such common habits like idle gossip and unpreparedness. In fact, her attitude during this film is so overwhelming to the point where it's just sad. She may sound bitter, but she's a woman worth listening to regardless. Watching this documentary gives Riva's book even more credibility, in my opinion, especially in the final years of Dietrich's life where you wonder if all those incidents you read about were true.