Customer Reviews

Song of Songs [VHS]

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This slightly creaky pre-code film is elevated immeasurably by the directorial touch of the great Rouben Mamoulian and the presence of the incomparable Marlene Dietrich, starring here in her first American film away from Josef von Sternberg. In her portrayal of the country girl Lili, Dietrich, to her considerable credit, manages to convey the progression from sentimental girlhood to jaded womanhood with complete credibility whilst maintaining an ironic knowingness throughout. Following the travails of Lili as she moves from being sculptor's model to the wife of a depraved baron, and finally, to prostitution, director Mamoulian guides the story with the necessary lightness of touch, moving effortlessly between burlesque and melodrama, all the time focusing every scene around his compelling leading lady. Unfortunately, the supporting performances of Brian Aherne and Lionel Atwill, as the men in Lili's life, have not dated as well. However, any flaws are more than compensated for by the sight of Lili sat atop a table in a decadent nightclub, wearing a low cut dress, singing the more than a little risque "Johnny" with eye-rolling glee. Vintage Dietrich.

This was Dietrich's first Hollywood film without Josef Von Sternberg, so for film buffs, that alone is reason enough to buy the tape. Actually, the movie itself is worthy of a closer look, as Dietrich gives a very good performance in a sometimes slow-moving film.
Playing a peasant girl by the name of Lily, we see Dietrich move to the city upon the death of her father, to stay with her aunt in her aunt's bookstore. One day she meets in the store a young handsome artist(Brian Aherne), who is struggling with a sculptor's form of writer's block. She becomes his inspiration, and they soon fall in love. Eventually, Lily talks of marriage, and the young sculptor chooses a life of art over love, and leaves her. Lily then falls into the hands of the artist's benefactor,(lionel Atwill) who sees only a beautiful young woman he can mold like clay.
After Lily is transformed into a lady of class, the old man then brings the two former lovers back together, in order to laugh at them both. Needless to say, the evening is a disaster, and Lily leaves the house broken and shamed.
Later, we see Lily as she has remerged as a lady of the evening, making her way in life using men as they have used her, unable to feel love again. Then, her artist love finds her, takes her back to his studio, where they first fell in love. After a wrenching recitation of some passages from the song of Solomon from the Bible, Lily then destroys the lovely statue she posed for, which to her represents someone who no longer exists. After this emotional upheaval, the film ends with the promise of Lily and her artist finding true love again.
Dietrich played her scenes surprisingly well, with no Sternberg to guide her, and showed that yes she can act on her own. The other leads in the film, however, seem rather dated now, and the film at times moves with a claustrophobic slowness. However, overall the film is enjoyable, and indeed the director, Roubin Mamoulian, was very proud of it. He showed a copy of it to Greta Garbo to get her interested in working with him on Queen Christina. The film looks very good on video, and is worth a look!

The first film under her Paramount contract without Josef von Sternberg in the directors' chair, THE SONG OF SONGS (1933) is one of Dietrich's most accomplished from her early career. Due in no small part to the delicate direction of Rouben Mamoulian, Dietrich glows like a Flemish painting come to thrilling life, in a story of love, deep religious conviction, redemption, and obsession...

When her penniless father dies, young Lily Czepanek (Marlene Dietrich) goes to live with an unwelcoming aunt (Alison Skipworth), but soon befriends kind artist Richard Waldow (Brian Aherne). Bewitched by her unique beauty, he asks her to pose for a statue....the resemblance of which reminds Lily of the girl in her father's favourite Bible passage, "The Song of Songs". Lily's statue also becomes the obsession of Baron von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill), an older gentlemen who soon manages to split the young lovebirds apart so that he may claim the real girl for himself...

The movie made headlines when it was reported that Dietrich had indeed posed for the nude statue of Lily which features prominently in the plot.

Marlene Dietrich effortlessly shifts from innocent young girl, to jaded Baroness and fallen woman in this fascinating drama. I'll say without any hesitation that it's one of the best from her early career. Highly-recommended.