Marlene Dietrich was an artist and an icon.
Her looks are familiar even with those that never saw one of her movies, even with those that normally avoid black & white cinema.
Dietrich was in landmark movies, directed by giants among directors.
Together with Garbo, she has come to represent all that was sensual about an era.
And she’s been the subject of uncounted biographies.
It is therefore highly refreshing to find a Dietrich biography which cuts through the legend and gets up close and personal with the woman and the artist.
Unsurprisingly, such a biography is in fact an autobiography, penned by Dietrich herself with the open purpose of defusing and setting straights a lot of dubious myths about her career, her life, her choices.
What Marlene (fresh from Open Road Media) gives us is a self-portrait by a highly intelligent, refined lady – someone that almost by chance happened to lend her face and her body to some of the raciest, most seductive and risqué women in movie history.
We discover a woman with a passion for life and a somewhat bemused detachment from her job, not so much insecure about her beauty as dismissive of it. In a pleasant, ironic tone, Dietrich shares details of her life, her opinions on art and literature, her strong political stance, and her reminiscences about the people she worked with.
Joseph von Sternberg stands out as Dietrich’s main influence and mentor, and reading about Marlene’s experiences allows us to peek behind the scenes during the filming of such masterworks as The Blue Angel or Morocco.
An extraordinary treat for the film buff, and a highly entertaining, moving experience for anyone interested in the true woman behind the glitter of the legend.
Highly recommended. ( )