Marlene Dietrich Free Essay Example, 2500 words

Steven Bach once wrote that the biggest female stars in the world were based on their screen image and that Marlene is an example of this. The argument was that each of Dietrich films was a platform wherein she was able to let her audience constantly rediscover her or find something new in the roles she played and the performances she delivered. She was able to cultivate an image that people easily identify as her persona and, most importantly, an image that created a need based on the desires of the audience. Through the manner by which her image was carefully defined, scripted and invented, Dietrich was able to hold onto the material and spiritual power which allowed her image to exemplify society producing the impasse into which it casts its members on the level of the libido as much as on the level of economics: the desire for what cannot be avoided without a radical rupture with the world that has formed us. Consider how some critics point out that the success of The Blue Ang el was not because of an excellent storyline or the genius of neither its director, Josef von Sternberg nor its sexual context. We will write a custom essay sample on Marlene Dietrich or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page It was Dietrich s acumen and sense of what she wanted and how she wanted to be seen and perceived that made the difference. As she made her films, Dietrich learned how to best represent herself, highlight her assets or make an aspect of persona prominent. This is demonstrated, for instance, in the invention of the so-called "Dietrich's face. " In the earlier photographs of Dietrich, her upturned nose is quite obvious. As a matter of fact, this minor flaw has earned her the moniker "Ducknose" because it is stuck up like those of the duck s.