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Marlene

Play trailer Poster for Marlene 1984 1h 35m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Directed by German actor Maximilian Schell, this film focuses on the life and career of screen star Marlene Dietrich. The famous actress declined to appear in any new interviews, so much of the documentary consists of the notoriously private Dietrich talking to Schell off-screen over film clips and photos of her legendary Hollywood heyday. Among the movies featured in the production are "The Blue Angel" and "Judgment at Nuremberg," a film that included both Schell and Dietrich in the cast.

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Marlene

Critics Reviews

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Geoff Brown The Times (UK) 04/14/2020
Marlene, then, is infuriating, but rarely boring: Dietrich herself makes sure of that. Go to Full Review Melissa Anderson Village Voice 05/31/2017
A shrewd summa of stardom and late-life legend-burnishing, wearily but no less admiringly acknowledging its irascible subject's perverse genius Go to Full Review Bill Weber Slant Magazine 10/05/2009
3/4
The bilingual parrying between the withholding diva and her frustrated chronicler often seems like Sunset Boulevard re-imagined as a radio play, with sex removed from the equation but marlenus interruptus aplenty. Go to Full Review Joe Bittmann Washington Blade 05/24/2022
Schell’s film is therefore an achievement, building on the heterodox, oblique-angled technique of Marcel Ophuls to reconstruct Dietrich’s life like a mood piece. Go to Full Review Michael W. Phillips, Jr. Goatdog's Movies 10/26/2009
4/5
I think we learn much more about Dietrich than we would have if she had submitted to the usual paint-by-numbers, fawning Biography Channel type of film. Go to Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid 10/10/2009
The result is a fascinating document, not only of the star herself, but also of the documentary as personal process. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Georgan G 10/17/2021 Interesting but difficult to follow as half was in German so had to read subtitles that were not left on for long. Marlene Dietrich said her career meant nothing, nor does she care for sex or love. What *does* she care about? See more David F @dfulmer 02/09/2021 A riveting documentary featuring the disembodied voice of Marlene Dietrich speaking over clips of her performances and giving her take on her storied life. Has a meta approach of commenting on its production which I liked very much. See more 08/27/2015 One of the best documentaries for its' subject matter. Completely new, inventive, and engaging from beginning to the end. See more 02/28/2013 Of course the famously reclusive Marlene Dietrich refused to appear on camera in a documentary film about her life. The real surprise was that she agreed even briefly to be filmed by Maximilian Schell. He got very lucky, since the off camera interviews combined with footage from her career led to on...read moree of the most acclaimed documentaries of the 1980s. Dietrich was a real German patriot by denouncing Hitler and actively supporting the Allies throughout World War II, for which she was an outcast for many years in her home country. And while she might not like the comparison, Dietrich is so combative and strong-willed, this makes a fascinating double bill with The Wonderful, Horrible Life Of Leni Riefenstahl who was forever on the wrong side of history but refused to admit it. See more 10/27/2010 Dietrich's last interview turned into a really fascinating, controversial documentary. Grumpy yet humble Marlene does her best to keep her star facade intact but fails measurably... See more 10/06/2008 One really has to give Schell credit. After Dietrich more or less torpedoed the documentary, he went back and reconceived the whole project, with results that are probably far more impressive than the original film would have been. Amazing, and, oddly enough, no disservice to his subject. See more Read all reviews
Marlene

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Cast & Crew

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Maximilian Schell

Director

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Marlene

Marlene (1984) Marlene (1984) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Directed by German actor Maximilian Schell, this film focuses on the life and career of screen star Marlene Dietrich. The famous actress declined to appear in any new interviews, so much of the documentary consists of the notoriously private Dietrich talking to Schell off-screen over film clips and photos of her legendary Hollywood heyday. Among the movies featured in the production are "The Blue Angel" and "Judgment at Nuremberg," a film that included both Schell and Dietrich in the cast.
Director
Maximilian Schell
Production Co
Bayerischer Rundfunk, Braun Entertainment Group
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 2, 1984, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2016
Runtime
1h 35m
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