How did Marlene Dietrich become a film icon, beginning with her first films in Germany and moving on to Hollywood? How does cinematography create a character both dangerously alluring and mysteriously androgynous? How does the femme fatale challenge authority and claim her own power? What role did the person, Marlene Dietrich, play in international politics?
For each film, we will discuss its particular historical context, as well as its place in building stardom for Marlene Dietrich and how cinematic language creates this image we have all watched for decades.