Shanghai Express

Finally a Dietrich/Von Sternberg film that excels as usual on every technical level but for once is married to a story both interesting to me (where Blue Angel may have failed) and high in quality (ohhh, Blonde Venus). This is a rapturously exciting tale, cannily introducing the viewer to a small group of interesting if stock passengers and crafting a surprisingly compelling romance. It’s the best of Hollywood plus Von Sternberg’s expressionist visual work plus Dietrich’s half-bored sultry strutting (I remember reading now that Gena Rowlands had modeled herself on Dietrich a bit and for the first time I recognized more than a couple signature gestures :)). Clive Brook is also surprisingly good in this, ever the stuffy and weary Brit, looking pissed off at his bad fortune to fall for “Shanghai Lily.” Excellent all around.