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Josef von Sternberg – Blonde Venus (1932)

Posted By: newland

Date: 6 Mar 2009 19:46:14

Josef von Sternberg – Blonde Venus (1932)
DVDrip | English | Subtitles: EN, ES, FR, HU, NL, NO, SE (optional) | 1:33:55 | 640x480 | H264 | NTSC 23.97fps | Audio: MP3 - 160kbps | 1.37 GB

Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall and Cary Grant star in Josef von Sternberg's classic social drama about a young mother who lives an unsavory life to support her family. Loving mother and devoted wife Helen Faraday works as a showgirl at a tawdry nightclub to earn her family's living. Her frail husband Edward suffers from radium poisoning, a degenerative malady that requires an expensive European cure. When Helen meets wealthy Nick Townsend, a handsome and admiring playboy, she's seduced by him. Unfortunately, their scandalous affair sets off a chain of scandalous reactions that force Helen into hiding. Running from the authorities who want to take her child, Helen confronts a society that's turned its back on her.

Josef von Sternberg’s fifth film starring Marlene Dietrich, Blonde Venus (1932) is another one of his great expressionist fantasies. Like most of von Sternberg’s work, the film is highly romantic and features a melodramatic plot that stretches all credibility. Yet von Sternberg’s unique mise-en-scene pulls the viewer into a delirious world of romantic passions and their entangled worldly involvements that ultimately overcomes the ordinary demands for strict realism. As with others of his films, such as Morocco and Shanghai Express, you must approach Blonde Venus as you might an opera or a poem and allow yourself to succumb to its charms. — MKP, The Film Sufi

This film really shouldn't work. The story line is too far-feched, the songs too silly, the star too goregeous when supposedly a vagabond. BUT, it Does work, astoundingly, and the reason is that star, Marlene Dietrich. No other could pull this role off. She's both smolderingly sexy and maternal. Vamp, and housewife. Devoted mother, and kept woman. Pleny of contradictions here, and yet she moves through the film as the glue that holds the whole mess together. Of course, the part that this film is famous for is the "Hot Voodoo" number, where Dietrich emerges out a gorilla costume with native girls swaying in time in the background. What nerve! Nobody today would dare anything like that. Herbert Martshall is cast as the husband, and Cary Grant, in am early role, is cast as the swank lover. All it takes is a bit of suspension of disbelief, for some parts, anyway, and this is a movie to enjoy.
Actually, having just watched the film again for the first time in a while, I was struck by Dietrich's presence in the film. I've always considered Dietrich one of the most under-rated actresses of Hollywoods golden era. She seemed very involved and into her role here. Her scenes with little Dicky Moore, her son in the movie, were very touching and sincere. I'm no acting expert by any stretch, but I feel she was wonderful in this role. Perhaps it was the going against type role of mother that turned off many critics of the day. She was, after all, one of the most glamorous and seductive creatures to ever hit Hollywood, so perhaps thinking of her as a loving mother and housewife could perhaps seem to be a stretch. However, Dietrich carried off the role, and carried the movie totally without effort. Watch the film yourself, and see how under-rated this fine actress really was. — Chris Tolley, Amazon review

Blonde Venus is a tour-de-force for Dietrich who carries the film and convincing portrays this conflicted women. There aren't many scenes without her, which is good, because the film just lags without her presence. I just can't explain it. Josef von Sternberg was her director of choice and it's clear that he was completely enamored with her and her talent. No one has ever been so lovingly and beautifully lit in all of filmdom. Personally, I found her more beautiful in the family scenes than in the theatrical costumes and makeup. The musical numbers were interesting and different, but not really my cup of tea. She's a powerful performer, but I found her accent a little hard to understand when she was singing. Both leading men played their parts admirable, but even Grant can't compete with her radiance. The films other great role is that of Johnny. Dickie Moore may have come to hate acting as he got older, but he was a wonderfully honest and engaging child actor. You look into those big eyes and you never want to let him go. He and Dietrich had the most clear connection of any of the film's relationships. — Laraine Newman, Crazy for Cinema