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Scarlet Empress by Josef Von Sternberg with Marlene Dietrich
Brussels Filmmuseum on 10/06/2005

No fairy tale for this princess at bedtime,
but a summary of Russian torture and execution,
Von Sternberg going all the way immediately,
cross fading from a man swinging as a human clapper inside a bell,
to the princess on a swing.
A clear start for this highly entertaining and at moments disturbing spell of technical virtuosity, grotesque humor and an almost De Sadesque fascination for perverting an innocent soul into cruelty.

The portrayal of the savage Russians is beyond everything human,
the emperial court resembling a macabre religious nightmarish pastiche guarded by atrocious statues and Freudianly oversized doors reducing everybody to children.
The main vibe is as subtle and political correct as the lyrics from Boney M's 'Rasputin', and Von Sternberg shows off in arranging the filmic counterparts of a relentless melodic groove and exuberant string parts.

Dietrich surprises starting out as an innocent woman, very much alive in this visual exuberance and acting way beyond her usual boyish femme fatal cool. She goes on to be betrayed rather convincingly.
But to my feeling, her final switch to a cold power seeker is far too abrupt and accompanied by disappointingly stereotypical acting, adding to the feeling that the whole finale is out of balance.
But you can easily forget about the plot and human psychology as the film progresses, because Von Sternberg's lives out his fascination for the (Russian) madness.

Genius, beauty, humor and horror that make Tim Burton or Ken Russell look like midgets trying to open a gigantic door.
A must see.