Marlene (1984)

People are voting emotionally.

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Marlene Dietrich was notorious for her unwillingness to be seen once she retired. Yet, somehow, this very secretive actress and singer was convinced by Maximillian Schell to make a documentary. But, because she was so secretive, she imposed conditions on the film that made making it very, very difficult--practically impossible. They were not allowed to show her at any time nor any of the pictures on the walls. And, while agreeing to being interviewed, it could only be done with a tape recorder--forcing the use of lots of irrelevant footage, old photos and film clips.Now all this sounds very confusing and difficult for Schell...but it gets worse. As he asks her questions about her old films or her life, she keeps responding by saying cranky things like 'I already spoke about that in my book and don't want to talk about it', 'that film is kitsch and I hate it' and other dismissive comments. Despite this, Schell tried to engage her throughout the film--mostly to be rebuffed. In fact, you learn almost nothing about Marlene other than the fact that she doesn't want you to learn much of anything! It's really a waste of time and fans of this enigmatic actress should just do as she says....READ A BOOK! Very disappointing and I have no idea why this film was nominated for an Oscar, as there is not category for Most Frustrating Picture! My feeling is that folks who love Marlene Dietrich are best served with their memories and should probably just avoid this strange film.

I haven't seen that much of Marlene Dietrich's work. Not enough to get a comprehensive historical perspective. This film filled in some of the gaps and made me want to seek out more of her movies and to read more about her.Aside from everything else this documentary presented, the dynamic between Marlene Dietrich and Maximilian Schell alone made it well worth watching.Schell is obviously a very impressive, accomplished and charismatically attractive guy, no doubt accustomed to getting his way. Especially with women. But even at the advanced age of 82, Marlene Dietrich not only held her own but prevailed against him.This film makes plain that before she agreed to do this documentary with Schell, Dietrich had spelled out her conditions very specifically. But although she made sure that her terms were all there in black and white in the contract, Maximillian Schell apparently believed that this "contract" was just a formality for getting his foot in the door. And he could then draw on his charms, those that he had so often used to his advantage, to make her drop her conditions to accommodate his vision of the documentary and his path to getting there.But Marlene Dietrich instead handed him a big surprise. Here was one woman who seemed immune to the Maximillian Schell Onslaught. He could not charm her, he could not cajole her, he could not pressure her, he could not jolly her, he could not dazzle her with his estimable intelligence and good looks.Dietrich stood firm. She did not appear on camera even though he kept stepping up his insistence that she do so. And at every point along the way, she controlled the information. She told him as much as she wanted him to know and no more.And who can blame her. She had spent a lifetime of hard work creating this Marlene Dietrich persona and filling it with substance. It wasn't a mirage. Who was he to think that he had the right now, at this point in her life, to define her. She had already earned the right to define herself.There are a lot of interesting aspects to this documentary. The give and take between the two of them when she calls Maximilian Schell a prima donna and an amateur are more amusing than harsh. When he walks out on her and she spiritedly takes him to task about his wretched manners is quite funny, too.The ending is also quite powerful. As the film proceeds, you are left with a sense of Marlene Dietrich as this very pragmatic and practical person who mocks and seems impervious to displays of sentimentality. And yet she grows tearful and emotional when Maximillian Schell recites with her a poem from her childhood. Giving a glimpse into the complexities within.In fact, that is what Schell's documentary accomplished, IMO. It provided a valuable glimpse into the complexities, dualities, and contradictions within.

Today I watched a documentary on Marlene Dietrich titled 'Marlene'. It was produced in 1984 and directed by Dietrich's "Judgment at Nuremberg" co-star Maximilian Schell. I don't know how many of you know this, but Marlene agreed to do the film only if the director was in compliance with her wish not to be photographed, and because of this she does not appear in the film. But her Paris apartment is recreated to give the illusion that the actress is really there. Her voice, however, is used as the narration through the film, which is aided with various clips of her movies, concert performances and newsreel footage.To begin with, Marlene shows little interest in this whole film -- it's obvious -- and even less interest in the discussion of her movies -- that's, sadly, even more obvious. I'm convinced now more than ever that she never enjoyed working on a movie. Still, it's nice to discover that she is able to remember her experiences with a lot of clarity, sometimes using the German word "kitsch" (worthless) to describe most of her film work; although I may disagree with her on some. Marlene also talks about other things besides her films. Her singing career and personal life are briefly discussed, as well as Jean Gabin, Ernest Hemingway, Josef von Sternberg and her marriage to Rudolph Sieber.It's a strange documentary that you can't help but like. And not everything you would like to hear (even if you consider them important in her life) is mentioned a whole lot in this; such as the war years, where Marlene's tireless efforts to entertain the allied troops stationed at the front, seemed neglected. I remember hearing Schell saying to Marlene in the beginning of the film that he didn't want this to be a typical A-B-C from childhood to present interview. Well, perhaps it would've worked better had it been that way. Much of it was a mess -- not difficult to follow necessarily -- just may have been easier on Marlene's temper had there been some kind of order to the whole thing. Maybe.It gets a little heated towards the end of the film. Schell seems to have angered Marlene at one point by pressing her for a comment on one of her movies. I don't know how serious it was after the tape stopped rolling, but she evidently wasn't amused. In the end, it becomes apparent to the viewer how cranky Dietrich is at this point in her life. You could argue that it might have something to do with her age, but I think it has more to do with the fact that she was an incredibly disciplined woman who favored manners and intelligence over such common habits like idle gossip and unpreparedness. In fact, her attitude during this film is so overwhelming to the point where it's just sad. She may sound bitter, but she's a woman worth listening to regardless. Watching this documentary gives Riva's book even more credibility, in my opinion, especially in the final years of Dietrich's life where you wonder if all those incidents you read about were true.

Schell turns Dietrich's refusal to appear on-camera for him from what could have been a disaster to a distinct artistic advantage. Being able only to hear her growl her own commentary over scenes from earlier films, newsreels, etc., gives this picture an amazing power and poignancy that it would not have otherwise. An amazing movie.