Modernism Born Out of Classical Cinema: The Body of Marlene Dietrich in the Films of Josef von Sternberg.

Abstract

In the first films in which Marlene Dietrich starred under the direction of Josef von Sternberg in Hollywood in the early 1930s, we find a paradigmatic example of how classical cinema transgressed conventional forms of expression. While the Dream Factory continued to affirm the almighty power of love, Dietrich was debunking the myth of ideal passion that Greta Garbo had made the governing principle in the films of the era. Dietrich’s ironic and distanced acting approach gave the relationship between spectator and star a more modern dimension. The main objective of this article is to explain how classical cinema operated through the gestural repertoire of Marlene Dietrich.