Blonde Venus

Josef von Sternberg, USA, 1932

It blows my mind to think we’re approaching the centenary of films like this. The first commercial talking picture was released in 1927, so films of the early 1930s were still developing the language of cinema, so to speak.

And Hollywood was establishing its new stars. Cary Grant’s got a small part in this one, but this is a Marlene Dietrich film, one of several she made with von Sternberg as she transformed from young German lovely to screen icon, and he from silent film to the talkies.

I hadn’t seen this one, and I do love her early work where there’s still something of the earthy fräulein in her.

The story in this film is a bit convoluted… Helen (Dietrich) goes back to work as a nightclub singer (what else?) to pay for her chemist husband’s medical treatment abroad. She meets a millionaire who gives her the money, sends hubby away, runs off with the rich guy, hubby comes back cured and discovers what’s been going on so threatens to separate Helen from 5-year-old son. So she goes on the run with the boy but ends up destitute and gives him up, then in her heartbreak runs off to Europe to forget it all and build a new career as a fabulous nightclub singer, then gets back with the millionaire, returning to see the son and is finally reunited with her family, her husband willing to give her another chance.

Despite all the farewells and declarations of love, the film is strangely emotionless. No tears, apart from when Helen gives up the son. After which she gets very drunk. No passion. Very 1930s controlled, and very Hollywood. Even with the theme of family break-up, it’s not a gritty kitchen-sink drama.

The messages of the story promote the traditional family. Maternal love conquers all, and woman is happiest as wife and mother. Though she is a very courageous and self-determining woman. She would have succeeded in her escape with her son had she chosen a less public profession. She’s doing very well for herself in Paris until a man intervenes.

Also best to take some deep breaths and brace yourself for the racial stereotypes of the period. The black people in this film are mostly servants, though there’s also the bandleader and the barman. They’re all happy Uncle Tom types. And then there’s the African/jungle number with chained savage dancers that reveals Helen under the gorilla costume.

Seriously, this was normal for the time and most people were OK with this. That is hard to live with.

Cinematically, there are lots of great shots. Von Sternberg was very good at using shadow and light to full effect. For example, the opening scenes of young ladies bathing in a pond cutting to little boy bathing in the bath are luminous, ethereal and beautiful. At times there’s a face in shadow contrasted with a face in light – marvellous!

And of course there’s classic Marlene doing her thing as the assured, flirty, sexy but untouchable singer (that has inspired so much, from Blazing Saddles to Bugsy Malone). I wonder, was this really how it was in the 20s and 30s, or did it just exist in the movies?