I must admit at the outset that I don't particularly like a style of film that was very popular in the 1920s and 30s--the "über-vamp" type of movie where a woman is so alluring and seductive that men fall at their feet--helpless! Both Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo became famous for such roles and frankly, they seem awfully silly in the 21st century. First off, no woman is THAT seductive. Second, with all the makeup and eyebrow plucking, if there WAS that type of woman, it certainly wouldn't look like either of these women! The bottom line is that this theme is one giant cliché and writing these films was pretty much "by-the-numbers" in most cases--in other words, it didn't require a whole lot of creativity or thought.
In this case, much of the story is told through flashbacks, as Lionel Atwill is trying to warn young Caesar Romero to stay away from Marlene. And, in these flashbacks, Ms. Dietrich does play an awful and totally selfish woman. But, at the same time, Atwill (and later, other male characters) plays the role of a weak and ineffectual man--more like a masochist in a sick relationship than a man. All this is meant to be very sensationalistic--I just thought it was all pretty silly.
If you MUST see this type of film, I suggest you see the Luis Buñuel film, THE OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE--which is, in fact, a comedic takeoff on THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN. The overall plot is nearly identical but the film is played more for laughs and shock value--which is exactly how THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN should have been played! In other words, since the plot was so poor and old fashioned, lampooning it is probably the only thing to do with it! A silly film that is moderately interesting, but totally unbelievable and clichéd. It only merits a 6 because the production values are high and the actors do the best they can with this bilge.
In this case, much of the story is told through flashbacks, as Lionel Atwill is trying to warn young Caesar Romero to stay away from Marlene. And, in these flashbacks, Ms. Dietrich does play an awful and totally selfish woman. But, at the same time, Atwill (and later, other male characters) plays the role of a weak and ineffectual man--more like a masochist in a sick relationship than a man. All this is meant to be very sensationalistic--I just thought it was all pretty silly.
If you MUST see this type of film, I suggest you see the Luis Buñuel film, THE OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE--which is, in fact, a comedic takeoff on THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN. The overall plot is nearly identical but the film is played more for laughs and shock value--which is exactly how THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN should have been played! In other words, since the plot was so poor and old fashioned, lampooning it is probably the only thing to do with it! A silly film that is moderately interesting, but totally unbelievable and clichéd. It only merits a 6 because the production values are high and the actors do the best they can with this bilge.