The black and white cinematography in this movie is often beautiful. Other than that, this is a largely forgettable venture, and a good example of how Dietrich's Hollywood career was sabotaged, unintentionally, by her regular director, Joseph Sternberg.
The premise of this movie, while not original - a group of people on a long-distance train ride - could have led to something much better. But
1. other than Dietrich and Eugene Palette, Sternberg gave most of the other roles to uninteresting actors and actresses, who didn't do much with their parts.
2. the script is very weak. Other than Dietrich's part, the other characters are never developed as interesting people.
3. the directing, while fine for atmosphere, does nothing to develop the other characters or create any sense of suspense.
In short, you get the feeling that Sternberg felt he could get by for 90 minutes with just presenting a beautiful and intriguing woman, Dietrich, in often outlandish costumes and striking lighting. While I very much like Dietrich, that is not enough to make for an interesting movie. Perhaps an interesting silent film, where effective visual images counted for more - at least to some audiences. But it doesn't work as a good sound picture.
A shame. Dietrich deserved better, and could have done more with better.
Also: Another example of a Dietrich-Sternberg movie with a weak leading man. After Gary Cooper in Morocco, which is a much more interesting movie, Sternberg paired Dietrich with a series of uninteresting, weak men. As a result, there is no chemistry between them, and certainly no sparks. This, too, deprives the movie of a chance of holding its audience. When, at the end of this series of movies directed by Sternberg, Dietrich goes back to appearing opposite strong leading men, such as James Stewart in Destry Rides Again, she will go back to giving much more interesting performances in much better movies, leading to what is probably her finest movie role, opposite Charles Laughton, in Witness for the Prosecution, a performance that leaves us realizing what she could have been doing for all those largely wasted years between Morocco and Destry.
The premise of this movie, while not original - a group of people on a long-distance train ride - could have led to something much better. But
1. other than Dietrich and Eugene Palette, Sternberg gave most of the other roles to uninteresting actors and actresses, who didn't do much with their parts.
2. the script is very weak. Other than Dietrich's part, the other characters are never developed as interesting people.
3. the directing, while fine for atmosphere, does nothing to develop the other characters or create any sense of suspense.
In short, you get the feeling that Sternberg felt he could get by for 90 minutes with just presenting a beautiful and intriguing woman, Dietrich, in often outlandish costumes and striking lighting. While I very much like Dietrich, that is not enough to make for an interesting movie. Perhaps an interesting silent film, where effective visual images counted for more - at least to some audiences. But it doesn't work as a good sound picture.
A shame. Dietrich deserved better, and could have done more with better.
Also: Another example of a Dietrich-Sternberg movie with a weak leading man. After Gary Cooper in Morocco, which is a much more interesting movie, Sternberg paired Dietrich with a series of uninteresting, weak men. As a result, there is no chemistry between them, and certainly no sparks. This, too, deprives the movie of a chance of holding its audience. When, at the end of this series of movies directed by Sternberg, Dietrich goes back to appearing opposite strong leading men, such as James Stewart in Destry Rides Again, she will go back to giving much more interesting performances in much better movies, leading to what is probably her finest movie role, opposite Charles Laughton, in Witness for the Prosecution, a performance that leaves us realizing what she could have been doing for all those largely wasted years between Morocco and Destry.