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Marlene Dietrich - Her Own Song

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The documentary "Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song" is directed by grandson David Riva. About halfway into the film I realised I was watching some sort of "authorized/family" version of Dietrich's life. The film chooses to focus on certain parts of Dietrich's life while completely ignoring other substantial portions. The film concentrates on Dietrich's WWII activities, but it includes surprisingly little about her film career--many of her films are not even discussed. There's also very little here about Marlene's personal life--although her marriage to Rudolf Sieber is mentioned. Marlene's love affairs with three members of the Kennedy clan are also not mentioned--one brief clip flashes a very recognizable and young John Kennedy at the camera. The film does, however, chose to pursue the story of Dietrich's love affair with the French actor, Jean Gabin, but there's no mention of her affairs with other women.

The documentary includes information about Dietrich's early acting career, concert footage, and her screen test for "Blue Angel". Various people in the film industry relate their anecdotal memories of Dietrich--including Hildegard Neff, Burt Bacharach, Rosemary Clooney, daughter Maria Riva (the director's mother), and various biographers. There are some fascinating photographs of Marlene Dietrich's WWII involvement--the shows she gave to the troops, etc. The film discusses Dietrich's brave opposition to the Nazi party, Goebbel's attempts to get her back in the German film industry, and how she coped with being a German in wartime. Dietrich's films were eventually banned in her native Germany.

While it's extremely interesting to learn about Marlene's devotion to the troops, and how she suffered for being German, overall, the documentary is a disappointment. It's well made, well organized, coherent, etc., but it hardly gives a full picture of Dietrich's life. The film travels down one road and ignores the rest. I was especially disappointed that the film contained no analysis of Dietrich's relationship with von Sternberg. This one-sided presentation of Dietrich's life removes any possibility of analysis from the viewer and instead, we are spoon fed what is supposed to be the accepted biography. It's not so much that we don't get the dirt--we just don't get the full picture of this fascinating unforgettable, and complicated star. All that said, while this is not a definitive biography by any means, Dietrich fans will still want to seek out the film and absorb the information here. For me, the very best scene was Dietrich singing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" in German while on tour in Israel. This was extremely moving--displacedhuman

This is a fascinating documentary about the great screen legend Marlene Dietrich, not the less because of the particular focus on her life it takes. Without much question, Dietrich was one of the more interesting and complex individuals to have a career in Hollywood. Her films are fascinating for the imagery and complex sexuality presented upon the screen, and her life was interesting for many of the same reasons. This documentary leaves large parts of Dietrich's life undiscussed in order to deal more completely with aspects normally neglected. For instance, there is surprisingly little devoted to her actual film career. Many of her greatest film roles are not mentioned at all, such as BLONDE VENUS, THE SCARLET EMPRESS, DESIRE, THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN, the camp classic RANCHO NOTORIOUS, or WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION. Furthermore, very little of her sex life is mentioned, nothing about her long list of male and female lovers (in fact, there is no reference to her bisexuality at all, or her relationship with many of the Kennedy men, except for a very quick and unremarked upon bit of home movie footage of a very young JFK). So, in a way, this is not a balanced documentary on Dietrich's life.

On the other hand, we do get a portrait of Dietrich that, in conjunction with the more commonly known side of her, that richly deepens the more common portrait of her. There are many extraordinary early photographs and film footage of the very young Marlene in Germany, a great deal of fascinating home movie footage, and many interviews with family members. In fact, the sections of the documentary dealing with her family relations is among the most interesting.

But far and away the most interesting part of the documentary is that dealing with her ardent and passionate work in entertaining American troops on the front lines during WW II. I was aware that she had been unusually active in the USO during WW II, but I did not know the degree to which she was involved. As this film shows, she was probably worked harder to improve the morale of American soldiers than any other actor or actress during the war, often undergoing many of the same physical hardships that they did. As a result, Marlene Dietrich emerges as not merely a sexual and film icon, but as a genuine heroine, someone worthy of the greatest admiration.

About this cultural icon Marlene Dietrich, we have already a great documentary film "Marlene" by Maximillian Schell. Now here is a question: do we need another? Apparently, the answer is yes, as far as "Marlene Dietrich -- Her Own Song" is concerned, for it is directed by her own grandson J. David Riva.

But don't expect the film to be about her as actress. As the title of the film suggest, "Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song" uses its considerable time to describe her war-time activity. As you know, she travelled all around the world during the WW2, and sang her songs before the cheering soldiers, and the film shows how she did the work, even risking her own life. No wonder we associate her image with the song "Lili Marleen," (which is, incidentally, not her song at first -- it was first sung by Lala Anderson).

The film covers the aspect of Dietrich as actress, but the part is not what we can call in-depth study. In this film, her acting career means "The Blue Angel" "Morocco" and many others which are touched rather superficially. When Billy Wilder is mentioned, the film quoted is NOT "Witness for the Prosecution" but "A Foreign Affair." Strangely, the first one is never talked about, the decision no serious film critic would take.

The most memorable part of the new documentary is its materials which only the people close to Marlene Dietrich can obtain. The home video part (8 mm films) is fascinating, capturing the Marlene Dietrich enjoying herself in holiday (some shots in swimming suit), and incredibly, they are mostly in color (remember, it's around the 1930-40s). And the brief reunion conversation between Marlene (who left Germany) and her mother (who stayed in Berlin during the war) recorded by US military is very touching.

The interviewees include: Burt Bacharach, Rosemary Clooney, Maria Riva (the director's mother, and Marlene Dietrich's daughter), Volker Schlondorff, and many others. Narration by Jamie Lee Curtis, and Marlene's voice provided by Nina Franoszek.

Not an incisive study of Marlene Dietrich, I admit, and some part looks whitewashed. (The existence of Marlene's elder sister is virtually ignored.) However, the materials used here are rare and quite interesting to see, and for that only it deserves to be seen. But of course, you should watch sexy and seductive Dietrich in "Morocco" first, and how she sings there, throwing a flower to Gary Cooper. It's a must.

This amazing work was screened first at the Berlin Film Festival last year. All I can say is to tell you that at the end of the screening, two kids - complete with blue mohawks and chains - told the Director that they had wandered into the film because the one they came to see was sold out. They also told him, in front of a moved audience of 800, that he had given them a hero, one they never knew they had. It was an incredible moment of closure for everyone there. The film is not about Lesbian affairs, the numerous hetero affairs or even films and dresses, what it is about is the real woman inside. A character study accomplished better than any in many many years. This is a film that APG, Turner Classic Movies and Marlene herself (if she's listening) should be proud of. Borrow it, buy it, see it. Thanks for listening, you won't be disappointed!

This DVD concentrates mostly on Dietrich's devotion to "her boys" and the US during WW2. It does go through her entire life, as well, however. There is fantastic footage from her silent films, her personal life (some in color!) rare interviews and her later stage shows. It made me realize, as someone who has studied Dietrich the woman, for years, what a shock it was for her to return home after the war. Before the war, she lived for clothes, makeup and lovers. She found real depth as a person, when the war came. She saw real life and participated in it for the first time. She loved being of service to the country, and the contact with everyday beings.
When it was all over, she had to return to clothes, makeup and being merely a "movie star". She was very unhappy. Only the stage shows that she began in the early 50's brought her back to life. The contact with an audience was there, she could sing songs from and about the war, AND look great! That is really the focus of this DVD. I highly recommend this. It is very well done.

Not as enigmatic as Garbo but arguably more relevant, Marlene Dietrich continues to fascinate with her life story. Although she passed away in 1992 at age 90, there are facets of her life and career that still seem fresh and surprising. This 2001 documentary directed by her grandson David Riva takes a different approach than Maximilian Schell's more famous whipping-boy interview with an aging, off-screen Dietrich in his documentary, 1984's "Marlene". Riva has culled rare home movies and concert footage while de-emphasizing film clips from her remarkable career.

The most intriguing aspect is how Riva chooses to focus much of the running time to her WWII years. What comes across clearly is how giving and concerned a person Dietrich was as she became an American citizen yet conflicted about the pride she held of her German identity, especially since her beloved mother remained in Berlin during the war. Her hatred of the Nazis drove her, often at her own peril, to spend much of that time vouching for European Jews and courageously entertaining troops on the front line. Riva was even able to secure a recording of Dietrich's first brief phone conversation with her mother, after liberation. She couldn't go to Russian-held Berlin herself, but they were allowed to talk, in English only. In a voice much higher pitched than her film roles, Dietrich heartbreakingly exposes her soul in just a couple of minutes.

Just as poignant is Dietrich onstage. Obviously not a great technical singer, she compensates with the bravura of her hard-earned emotionalism, especially during her first performance in Israel when she sang Pete Seeger's anti-war "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" in forbidden German. Other aspects of her life are interesting as well, in particular, her failed affair with French actor Jean Gabin ("La Grande Illusion") and her later, and more personally relevant film work such as Stanley Kramer's "Judgment at Nuremberg". I wish there was a way for Riva to include a more comprehensive overview of her impressive film career as her amazing performances in Orson Welles's "Touch of Evil" and Billy Wilder's "Witness for the Prosecution" are ignored here.

Several interviews are interspersed, most notably with Dietrich's daughter Maria Riva, but also with colleagues and admirers such as actress Hildegard Knef, director Volker Schlöndorff, close friend Rosemary Clooney (who duetted with Dietrich on the comical song, "Too Old to Cut the Mustard" - a personal favorite of mine), and Burt Bacharach, who was her musical director in the 1960's while he was churning out the century's best pop tunes. Jamie Lee Curtis narrates unobtrusively, and there is even a Dietrich vocal impersonator who reads personal correspondence. Even if you feel you know who Dietrich was, this lovingly done documentary is certainly unique and personal enough to make your viewing a worthwhile experience.

This documentary about Marlene Dietrich serves as an excellent introduction to her both as an actress and a brave soul who tirelessly entertained the men she called "my boys" during World War Two. The film also covers her personal life (although not in extensive detail); and there are wonderful vintage home movies of Marlene as well. The film moves along at a very good pace and as I watched this I was always interested to see and hear more about this incredible lady. Jamie Lee Curtis narrates and we get brief interviews about Marlene with people including her daughter Maria Riva, Burt Bacharach, Rosemary Clooney and others. In addition, we see even more footage of Marlene during her wartime performances (she practically insisted on entertaining the troops near the front) and we see Marlene in concert in both black and white as well as color vintage film.

The film covers her marriage to Rudolf Sieber as well as her affair with Jean Gabin after she and Rudolf were no longer living together. It's also very interesting to see her rise to superstardom at Paramount Studios especially in the years before World War Two. The film also offers excellent home movies of Marlene shortly after her initial arrival in Hollywood to do "Morocco" for Paramount and there is an extensive discussion of how Marlene refused to go to Germany and be the "crown jewel" of the German cinema during World War Two.

The film also goes into her eventual decline in terms of box office numbers and her subsequent appearances in "B" movies and then more rewarding theater engagements in places like Las Vegas to keep the money coming in.

If this documentary has any flaw, it would have to be that it glosses over some aspects of Marlene Dietrich's life and unfortunately it simply doesn't deal with everything that happened to her; it's as if the documentary has been "cleaned-up" with a somewhat narrow focus on Marlene Dietrich to be intriguing to the largest audience possible. There is also no mention of her affairs with other women and we certainly don't get much if anything about her relationships with the John F. Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. We also learn little of Marlene's older sister, her fear of germs and more including Marlene's excellent performance in such films as "Witness for the Prosecution." And where is any real discussion of her relationship with director Josef Von Sternberg?

In short, this documentary is best viewed as a starting point for those of us beginning to learn about the life and times of Marlene Dietrich, one of the most fascinating Hollywood stars ever and one of the bravest who didn't shy away from tirelessly entertaining the troops during World War Two. It's not for anyone who already knows a lot about this incredible person; Marlene Dietrich diehard fans would do well to look elsewhere for other DVD documentaries including, perhaps, "Marlene" by Maximilian Schell and books like "Marlene Dietrich" by Marlene's daughter Maria Riva if they don't have this book already.

This movie is one on the most entertaining documentaries I have ever seen. I found it to be the frank and candid portrayal of a fascinating women the world knows little about.

I am glad i bought this Doc film of Marlene directed by her grandson! It was well done from beginning to end. Lots of exclusive footage and very touching moments. I consider Maximilian Schell's doc film to be more for the hardcore fans and this one for the casual fans as it is more accessible.
It is true that certain aspects of her life were omitted such as her bi-sexuality and her complicated relationship with film director Josef von Sternberg. But for almost 2 hours, you'll get a deep insight into the life of a fascinating woman from the beginning to the end.

This DVD is already out of print and so I'd suggest for you to buy it before it starts to sell for $200! You won't regret it.

Marlene Dietrich was an interesting woman. She was completely dedicated to her homeland of Germany; she spoke fondly of the culture until her death. She was raised in a priveledged class and was lucky enough to begin her career that brought her to America in The Blue Angel with Josef von Sternberg. She became a huge star in America and never returned to Germany to make another film. When World War II began, Dietrich rallied against her home country and went to extremes to encourage the moral of the American troops. She even became a citizen of the country.

Dietrich's war efforts have not been explored in the past the way this documentary does. Made by much of her family including her grandson and with interviews from her daughter, this documentary provides a personal view as well as a scholarly one. The war changed this exotic performer, and this DVD shows the world why and how.

As a big fan of Dietrich, I have never admired her as much as I do now after seeing this documentary.