The Devil Is a Woman

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georgan g If women had control over men shown in this film, the world would be a better place. Marlene Dietrich seems to play the ultimate femme fatale! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Its a little shocking something so deliciously amoral was released in 1935. It is kind of the perfect final film for Sternberg and Dietrich as it lacks any subplots and simply focuses on Dietrich ruining the lives of pathetic men. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member The Devil Is a Woman has the wicked distinction of being both directed and photographed by von Sternberg. The result is a mise-en-scéne so dense in its fetish for detail, the story is all but suffocated. By this point it's obvious that von Sternberg never saw a large wicker cage that he didn't position in the foreground in one of his exotic locales. Not to mention the ubiquitous sheer curtains, plaster textures, and in party scenes, streamers, streamers, streamers... Streamers choking whatever oxygen remained in the frame right out. And yet, somehow, it's exhilarating. To think that von Sternberg was single-handedly pulling the strings on productions such as this, at this time in Hollywood, is staggering. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review matthew d A fiendishly fun takedown of seductive opportunists and heartbroken fools. Josef von Sternberg's romance comedy-drama The Devil Is a Woman (1935) is practically a satire on women taking men for their money as well as foolish men falling in love with ladies that do not care for them. It's hilarious! I think I laughed out loud every single scene as everyone overacts to the extreme for a funny overall effect. Sternberg's direction is beautiful with a strong vision for each scene to explain a man's pain or a woman's plan to abscond with more money or break hearts. Pierre Louys' writing is very fun as he lambasts cruel women using their beauty and charm to seduce men out of their wealth, while also portraying these dumb men as gullible fools in every instance. You could call The Devil Is a Woman sexist and hurtful to women in general, but I think Sternberg is specifically tearing everyone apart. Sam Winston's editing is very quick as he sharply cuts from year to year for The Devil Is a Woman's impressively short run-time of 79 minutes. Josef von Sternberg's cinematography uses long takes for dances, songs, conversations, alongside extended panning shots. His camera choices are fascinating with characters framed in gorgeous ways to make everyone look lovely. Travis Banton's legendary costumes are just as exquisite here as Marlene Dietrich's other picture. He must have made at least 30 different ornate dresses for Marlene. All the lace is unimaginable. Marlene Dietrich's Concha Perez is a blast to watch her seduce and compliment men only to reject and abandon them again and again. She is effortlessly playful with a natural charisma and clearly Marlene had a nice time playing in her favorite of her collaborations with Josef von Sternberg. She's breathtaking to see, but it's her quick changes in personality that keeps you laughing throughout The Devil Is a Woman. Cesar Romero is good as the young Antonio taken by Dietrich's beauty, despite the warnings of Lionel Atwill's Pasqual. Atwill delivers a sincere dramatic performance that also makes him look so pathetically gullible that it's still funny to laugh at him. In short, I'd recommend this fast and funny picture from the great Josef von Sternberg, especially to see Marlene Dietrich just get to have fun with a role. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review david f Dietrich and Von Sternberg's final pairing is a bold, sensuous, Hollywood spectacle. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The best romance movie ever made! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Devil Is a Woman

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