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'Marlene' is no standard movie star documentary. It is a mystery story, a discourse on truth and fiction, a battle with a sacred monster, a caustic comedy of errors, and the story of the making of a film all rolled into one.
Despite personally selecting Schell to make the film about her, Dietrich soon fell out with the director but rather than be a liability to the film it is its saving grace, rescuing it from conventionality and turning it into a unique and richly entertaining record of an encounter with a real-life legend.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant, unconventional portrait of a very determined lady,
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This review is from: Marlene [DVD] [1983] (DVD)
This hugely entertaining documentary made in 1983 features a strong-willed, aging movie star who is reluctant to watch herself act in old movies - which she sometimes refers to as 'kitsch' - and even more hostile to appearing in a new one.
A multi-faceted character in real life, Marlene Dietrich refuses to be filmed and toys with the interviewer (whom she has selected herself), at the same time as she prepares 'a little snack' for the whole film crew. When the cameras are off, of course! The fact that she does not appear in front of the camera, creates an almost ghost-like quality to this film, which only makes it more intriguing. I loved the way you were never really sure where this documentary would take you and what you would find out along the way. Also, as a little bonus, you can expect around a million one-liners from one of the most interesting and glamourous actresses of her time. A fabulous film with a great cover - definitely deserves its spot on my DVD shelf!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full of Sadness,
This review is from: Marlene [DVD] [1983] (DVD)
Marlene is a 1984 documentary film made by Maximilian Schell about the legendary film star and icon Marlene Dietrich.
The story here is that Dietrich and Schell had worked together in 1961. By the late 1970s Dietrich had become a virtual recluse in her Paris apartment. Schell tried to persuade her for years to participate in a documentary about her life but she continuously refused. In 1982, she eventually agreed to participate on condition that she did not appear in the film as she wanted to protect her image. The film consists of an audio commentary and the visuals illustrate her career by showing film clips and stills from her films, as well as newsreel footage. The film consists of taped interviews between Schell and Dietrich where she is often difficult and cantankerous, she comments on some of the people she has worked with and some of the books written about her life and films. In the process, she touches on the subjects of life, reality and illusion and the nature of stardom, she becomes sad and describes herself as too sentimental. Her very reluctance to reveal much about herself and be seen as an older person gives one a much deeper understanding of her character than if the film had followed a more conventional format. She had an amazing life and was admired by millions around the world for her beauty and glamour which she managed to maintain an illusion of well into her seventies. Once she could no longer do this, she withdrew from public life. Here you get the sadness of the inevitable ageing process we all have to come to terms with. However, it appears much more maginified for one who was known as a great iconic beauty and star. A very interesting and deeply moving film.
2 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Marlene and too much Max,
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This review is from: Marlene [DVD] [1983] (DVD)
Maximillian Schell likes to put himself at the center of his supposed biographies of others -- the recent one on his sister/actress Maria Schell (MY SISTER MARIA) and this earlier one on Marlene Dietrich.
This one dwells and dwells on his trials with the willful, aging icon during this film's making. It's probably the foregrounding of those behind-the-scenes irrelevancies that the critics admired about this film. There isn't much room, however, for detail, so it winds up a pretty flimsy biography. Max should have followed Marlene's simple formula for a biography. She tells him right there in the interview. But he may not have been paying attention.
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