User Reviews

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine." Song of Songs 1:2

While in the times of laws and restrictions, Israel was granted Solomon and his poetical spirit of wisdom, in the early years of cinema, Hollywood was granted Rouben Mamoulian (1897-1987) who brought a soul to his motion pictures. At the beginning, I would like to quote his very symbolic statement that defines Mamoulian's exceptional perspective on cinema (from "Directing the Film" by Eric Sherman, 1976).

The innovative director said: "...the arts are the true universal medium. The whole thing should serve to remind you that man still has a potential, that he's not just crawling on earth. He still has wings and he can fly. We need this reminder of faith, of optimism, to reestablish the dignity of a human being."

When we analyze his movies, particularly the two he made in 1933 with two greatest stars of cinema, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, we realize that there is something unique in the direction, in handling of the plots, in imagery and in the whole approach. The director has a great degree of love and respect towards his female stars and allows them to go beyond themselves in every respect. While "Queen Christina" clearly appears to be a Garbo film, "The Song of Songs" appears to be a Dietrich film. Why?

The whole story of THE SONG OF SONGS occurs to deal with the life journey of the main character, Lily Czepanek (Marlene Dietrich). After the death of her father, a peasant girl, Lily, leaves for Berlin where she stays at her unemotional aunt, Mrs Ramussen (Alison Skipworth) who runs a bookshop. The thing she brings to Berlin and appreciates most is the Bible, particularly its Song of Songs praising the triumph of love. Soon, there appear two men in the life of the pure dove: one is the young sculptor Richard Waldow (Brian Atherne) who leads a life of an artist; the other is the rich, materialistic, conventional and heartless Baron Von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill) who has a power transform a shy girl into a sophisticated woman. Is there anyone on earth who can love her soul? Is there anyone whose heart is warm? Does she appear to be strong enough to defend her sweetest affection? Will she memorize the beautiful rhythm of the lovers' hearts?

Marlene Dietrich portrays the character with unbelievable charm, flair, a bit of eroticism. She beautifully depicts a change of heart and many sophisticated feelings, including shyness, enthusiasm, sorrow, disillusion and coldness. She is given some of the most beautiful, poetical moments in the film, including the fabulous spring sequence which appears to be like a touch of southern breeze, like a magical journey into a lost paradise, like a gentle smile of a beauty that seems to overwhelm and supply us with the glimpse of bliss. Marlene is also unforgettable with her eyes and the whole posture when Richard tells her to take her clothes off and... Another moment that is hard to skip is when she, having gone through all this experience, enters Richard's room and sees the sculpture...her face is illuminated by memories, by longing, by sorrow rooted in a loss. A key moment is also her song "Johnny, when will your birthday be" Marlene sings it memorably and wears a gorgeous costume by Travis Benton. But here, there is a need to compare...

Mamoulian appears to be creative when dealing with both Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. The both are given the most sensitive moments in their careers and, although the two 1933 plots have little in common, there appear to be huge similarities. Mamoulian brings out something unique from his stars' depths: all the beauty, all the talent to raise and overwhelm. While Ms Garbo hugs the pillows in the inn where she has experienced love and touches the objects to memorize the room, Ms Dietrich touches the soil and kisses the grass. While Ms Garbo is a beauty, a queen of snow, Ms Dietrich is a pleasure, a girl of spring.

Other cast give more or less decent performances. Lionel Atwill nicely portrays the cold baron, who is a representation of riches and conventions that have little to do with genuine love. He lusts for the innocent dove in order to take advantage of her and, finally, deprive her of dreams and illusions. He is the one who lustfully smokes a cigar when looking at the drafts of her body, his hand trembles and his smoke is on the painting. Brian Atherne is not particularly memorable as the sculptor Richard but he also has some of his good moments. Alison Skipworth has some witty moments as the conservative heartless auntie who does not tolerate much about the youth not being a saint herself...

Another merit of the film are the unique close-ups of the sculptures. The images appear to speak with grandiosity of sculptures and sweetness of love song. The symbolic moment when Lily smashes the sculpture appears to depict the change that no longer allows to turn back.

All in all, I have waited to see the film for a long time and...my patience was rewarded. I highly enjoyed it as a motion picture made so sensitively and poetically by Rouben Mamoulian. Don't ask me why...Perhaps, it is because of Marlene, perhaps, it is because of its beauty expressed in many scenes, perhaps, it is because of its great message: Be alert and don't skip an awakening love. Stop for a while and cherish the miracle of blossoming trees in spring and the joy of singing birds. This is a single gift and its bliss can never come again...

I dedicate this review to my friend whose name is written in my heart. It is thanks to him I have seen this unforgettable film.

Interesting to see Dietrich, early in her Hollywood career, working with a director other than her Pygmalion, Josef von Sternberg. The latter director provided beautiful but often-static set-ups for framing her, while Mamoulian's musicality and fluid camera release her. (Think also of his direction of Garbo in "Queen Christina," and that film's famous scene in which she moves lovingly and rhythmically--it was timed to a metronome-- around the bedroom, watched by her lover. )

I think this is one of Dietrich's best performances. She passes through many phases, from naive young girl to earthy woman. Her song "Johnny" is sublime--and moving, when she angrily tears into the second chorus after spotting in the audience the lover who had abandoned and disillusioned her.

THE SONG OF SONGS (Paramount, 1933), directed by Rouben Mamoulian, from the novel by Hermann Sudermann and play by Edward Sheldon, was released at a time when movie musicals proved popular again following an over abundance of them produced during the 1929-30 dawn of sound era. With the new cycle of successful musicals that began with 42nd STREET (Warners, 1933), THE SONG OF SONGS doesn't fit into that category in spite of its musical sounding title. In fact, it's a dramatic story about a German peasant girl named Lily who dreams about becoming like her favorite character from the Bible's "Song of Songs." Lily, as portrayed by Marlene Dietrich, appears in her fifth Hollywood production. Unlike her previous screen efforts ranging from her initial starring success in Germany's THE BLUE ANGEL (1929), to Hollywood's MOROCCO (1930), DISHONORED (1931), SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932) and BLONDE VENUS (1932), all under the direction of Josef Von Sternberg, THE SONG OF SONGS provides her with another director whose direction paved the way for a new and different Dietrich persona. 

The story revolves around Lily Czepanek (Marlene Dietrich), a shy German girl leaving the grave of her father for the next train to Berlin where she is to live with her aunt, Frau Rasmussen (Alison Skipworth). Working in her aunt's book store, Lily captures the attention of Richard Waldow (Brian Aherne), a young sculptor living across the street who selects her as his next model. Discovering she'll have to pose in the nude, Lily at first declines but after his assurance that he has no interest in her, she agrees to become the replica of the proposed statue he calls "The Song of Songs." When the aunt learns Lily has been sneaking out while asleep, she whips her. When all else fails, she turns her out into the street. With no where else to go, Lily, who has fallen in love with Waldow, comes to his studio only to find his best friend, August Von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill), a middle-aged baron, awaiting her with the news of Waldow leaving for Italy with no promise of returning. Desperately in love with Lily because of Waldow's statue, the Baron talks her into marrying him instead. Acquiring culture through French lessons, piano playing and social functions, Lily stirs up jealousy from Fraulein Von Schwartzfegger (Helen Freeman), the Baron's housekeeper, who soon arranges for Lily to have Edward Von Prell (Hardie Albright) act as her lover in hope of destroying both her reputation and marriage with the Baron.

With so many motion pictures made and remade, THE SONG OF SONGS was one that had, not one, but two earlier screen adaptations from the silent era each by Paramount: 1918 with Elsie Ferguson, and 1924 as LILY OF THE DUST starring Pola Negri. Aside from some European style camera techniques, THE SONG OF SONGS comes off best with its fine photography by Victor Milner and impressive musical score by the uncredited Nathaniel W. Finston. Mamoulian, a stylish director in his own right, quite different from Von Sternberg, brings out the best in Dietrich's performance from shy/ innocent girl to scandalous lady of confidence singing "Jonny" (by Frederick Hollander and Edward Heyman) in a night club. Von Sternberg would borrow this transformation style for Dietrich as Catherine the Great in his upcoming production of THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934). Although Mamoulian leaves much to the imagination with camera capturing the motion of Dietrich's nude posing from head down to her bare shoulders, he manages to get by the censors by having camera capture both pencil sketch and statute in full form.

Had THE SONG OF SONGS been produced for MGM, chances are the Dietrich, Aherne and Atwill roles would have been played by Greta Garbo, Nils Asther and Erich Von Stroheim, or possibly that of Anna Sten, Melvyn Douglas and Reginald Owen under Samuel Goldwyn. Brian Aherne, in his Hollywood debut, does well as the poor sculpture interested more in art than marriage. His noteworthy scene occurs with him imagining Lily speaking to him through her replica of his statue; Lionel Atwill, looking very European with his white hair, bushy mustache, monocle and military hat containing skull and crossbones, comes off better as the jealous Baron, along with Alison Skipworth, in the manner of MGM's own Marie Dressler's performance from "Anna Christie" (1930), quite satisfactory as the very strict, boozing aunt. Dietrich, Atwill and Skipworth would be reunited under Von Sternberg's direction in THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (1935).

Unseen regularly on commercial and later public television since the 1980s, THE SONG OF SONGS did make its rare cable television broadcast on the Movie Channel in 1991 before turning up on home video in 1998 as part of the "Marlene Dietrich Collection." When Marlene Dietrich was selected as "Star of the Month" in January 2002 on Turner Classic Movies, all of her films, especially those from Paramount, were presented, with the exception of THE SONG OF SONGS. It wouldn't be until June 13, 2017, that it finally premiered on TCM. Not quite the cinema masterpiece as anticipated, it's worth looking into solely as a rarely revived motion picture and being the only collaboration of Dietrich and Mamoulian. (***1/2)

If Song of Songs were Marlene Dietrich's first movie, it would be a shoe-in that she rise to instant stardom. This movie would make a star out of anyone and have everyone in the country talking about her. As it was, Marlene had already rocked Hollywood in The Blue Angel and shocked audiences with her tuxedo-clad, lady-kissing song in Morocco, so there was little higher to rise. She managed to top herself...and un-top herself in this movie where she models nude for sculptor Brian Aherne. This is one of the most explicit pre-Code movies I've ever seen, and that's saying quite a bit! It also shows quite a bit, so put the kiddies to bed before pressing play.

Marlene starts off the movie as an innocent, devoutly religious, young girl. She's an orphan sent to live with her aunt and work in a library, but when she sees the handsome, tortured artist working across the way from her bedroom window, her life changes. Brian spots her, too, and he comes to her at the library to ask her to pose for him. He uses the old line, "You mustn't think of me as a man," to get her to disrobe, and when she finally does, he falls in love with her body. Another man, Lionel Atwill, falls for the sculpture as well. He marvels at Brian's creation and vows to have the model for himself.

As much of a visual sensation as this movie is, it's also quite sad. Marlene is so sweet and innocent at the start of the movie, and she even raises the pitch of her normally low voice. She's adorable! It's heartbreaking to see her get corrupted, but she certainly is beautiful from start to finish.

This is such a nasty movie! In one scene, Lionel looks at Brian's initial sketches of Marlene's naked body as he's getting ready for bed. In another, Brian watches Marlene undress and fondles his clay statue. You can practically see him drooling! I was never a Marlene Dietrich fan, but it's no mystery why she was popular after this movie. As handsome as Brian is, it's a waste for him to be in the film. No one's looking at him!

Were this not made by Rouben Mamoulian and were it not to star Marlene Dietrich this picture would be rubbish but it is made by Rouben Mamoulian and it does star Marlene Dietrich and consequently it's fabulous.

Marlene Dietrich gives an outstanding performance. Her portrayal of an innocent naïve country girl becoming an unhappy woman of the world is both exaggerated to near-melodramatic levels yet is also completely credible and convincing. It's not a happy transition and you personally feel a stab of pain as you sense each subtle change in her personality. You want her to stay that simple, naive sweet girl but realise, as you grow to think you know her, that nobody's forcing her down these paths. Everything which happens to her, she does it to herself. She's a wonderfully flawed cleverly written character.

Even for a 'pre-code' film, the exploration of sexual desire is unusually and overtly erotic. Dietrich's convent-girl character Lily, excited by finding herself in the big city becomes a nude model for a local sculptor and that inevitably leads to a sexual awakening in both herself and the sculptor. As I said, such a load of nonsense, clearly written by a frustrated spotty teenager would need Paramount's A Team to make this turkey float - but they did it in spades and peppered it with some surprisingly sophisticated sexual humour.

Sometimes Mamoulian is less than subtle such as when he has the sculptor caressing the breasts of his life size statue whilst watching the shadow of his muse undress. It's 1933 yet incredibly this is still one the most powerfully erotic yet beautifully sensitive scenes in cinema. That naked, put white statue features throughout the film; it's her Dorian Grey, it retains that Garden of Eden innocent beauty whist the real Lily is gilded with the world.

Another earlier scene which is pivotal to Lily's evolution is when she's first asked to take her clothes off. Just using her eyes, you can see Dietrich has just discovered the immense power over men her naked body has. It's a surprisingly honest depiction of sexuality, identity, obsession but above all: whatever love is. Stevie Nicks wrote that love's a state of mind and this film shows what love means to the minds of all its different characters. It can be creative, destructive, enriching and vindictive but for Lilly it will never be as she dreams it could be as in Solomon's Song of Songs.

Marlene Dietrich stars as young German peasant girl Lily. After her father dies, leaving her an orphan, she travels from her old home in the country to the big city of Berlin where she works for her harridan of an aunt (Alison Skipworth). It's not long before she draws the attention of handsome sculptor Richard (Brian Aherne) who convinces her to nude model for him. She also attracts the attention of creepy older Baron von Merxbach (Lionel Atwill) who wants her for his own.

From the "scandalous" nude modeling scenes to the resulting statue, from the seamy dialogue to the ultimate fate of Lily, this classy film features more than its share of pre-code attributes. Director Mamoulian brings his usual attention to set design, lighting and camera placement. Dietrich is very good here, transitioning believably from the naive waif of the film's start to the jaded, world-wise woman of the finale.

The plot to this film is pretty simple, but wow, Marlene Dietrich is fantastic in the leading role, and director Robert Mamoulian makes the most of his actors and the script in crafting a beautiful film. Dietrich skillfully handles her role which shifts from a naïve young country girl, to a model and lover of a sculptor, to the unhappy wife of an older man, and lastly to a cabaret girl. Her performance is especially impressive for the time, when over-acting and exaggerated facial gestures were common; Dietrich by contrast is polished and smooth, sexy in a sultry, understated way, and quite a singer on top of all that. Director Robert Mamoulian, who also directed the brilliant Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1931, pulls all the right strings here, and there are some beautiful shots, examples of which are shifting clouds in front of the moon and sunlight reflecting off the water as Dietrich is out riding. The movie is also elevated by quotes from the poetry of the Biblical book of the Song of Songs, and it's a nice mix of sophistication and pre-Code naughtiness. The scene when Dietrich disrobes for a nude modeling session, where Mamoulian cuts to sculptures to represent her body, brings a smile. The plot itself isn't going to blow you away, but Dietrich will. Very enjoyable.

Without the shadow of Joseph Von Sternberg on direction that was replaced by Rouben Mamoulian the Germanic star Marlene Dietrich didn't change its status of cold woman and ambiguous behavior, even starting as naïve orphaned girl Lily moving to Berlin to living with her auntie, which one first day she already was posing nude for a young sculptor Richard Waldow (Brian Aherne), she sneaks every single late night to make something forbidden for mostly of the young girls at its time, an unashamed boost for whom intents an upcoming lucky marriage.

Meanwhile she posing nude as replica of a marble statue at behest of an older and wealthy costumer Baron von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill) a diehard spinster, Lily and Waldow falling in love mutually, among sunday strolls at a fancy park, oaths of eternal love and son on, the faltering guy soon drops out due his financial position and afraid to can't afford a better life to dreamer Lily, thus he and Baron Merzbach make a settlement over Lily for a profitable marriage, relinquishes Lily for good, sorrowful Lily becomes a stone-hearted woman.

This pre-code picture is so much melodramatic, whereof Marlene Dietrich played herself in latest scenes, ironic, cynical and vengeful as well, a slight le.wd and mundane behavior, far away from that silly girl when arrived at Berlin from Germany countryside and finally Richard Aherne as deadbeat character, later becoming remorseful towards an worn-out and mature girl.

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First watch: 2024 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.

This picture was a big reversal for Marlene Dietrich. Besides her first picture without Von Sternberg as director, it is the first one in which she goes from ingenue to demi-monde, instead of starting out as one. Here she is cast as a country girl who comes to the big city and befriends a sculptor of nudes (Aherne). She becomes his model, until he kisses her. Then the scales fall from their eyes and she becomes his lover. It is an extremely effective scene.

Matters evolve (or devolve) as a Prussian Colonel (Lionel Atwill) also takes an interest in his model. Atwill, who normally plays diabolical and unsavory types, has one of his best roles as a lecherous soldier and plays it to the hilt. It is a riveting portrayal and commands your attention whenever he is on screen. Alison Skipworth, one of Hollywood's best character actresses, plays her dipso aunt in what is her best role since "Outward Bound".

The storyline is not the thing here but it is fascinating to watch a master like Mamoulian at work and to watch Dietrich play against type, as well as watching the aforementioned Atwill in a performance that is sublime. Those are the surprises, not the plot - it's been done many times before and since.

Marlene Dietrich is a newly orphaned country girl who gets sent to her aunt, Alison Skipworth. Soon, Brian Aherne, the sculptor who lives across the street, decides she would be a good model for his work based on Solomon's Song of Songs and Beethoven's Pathetique. After about half an hour, they are a couple, running up and down the flowered mountains which Berlin seems to be liberally supplied with.

Enter Lionel Atwill, a military baron, who wears a forage cap with a skull on it and a furry panache that sticks straight up. He marries Marlene and takes her to his schloss, which is liberally decorated with phallic symbols and his mistress. Things turn out poorly, and Marlene becomes a good-time girl who sings cynical songs.

Isn't it always that way? While Mamoulian has a lavishly directed set, alas, he cannot raise a performance out of DIetrich to make us think she is a good girl in an early scene. She disrobes with the easy fluidity of someone who has spent a lot of time naked since she was twelve, and shows no shyness as she models nude for Aherne, after about ten seconds of his "It's art!" speech. Aherne is ok. Atwill is disgusting and disgusting and Skipworth is disgusting and funny.

Ruben Mamoulian surprised me with this film. It's a melodramatic story, but very well edited, both image and sound. Therefore the film looks amazingly modern. There is good rythm in the scenes. Marlene Dietrich is rather natural compared with her later films. She is not the sexgoddess as we know her. It is a gift Mamoulian has over the 1930 divas. I never thought he was a great director, but since Becky Sharp I find his films interesting and great works of art.

"The Song of Songs" could never have been made once the new and MUCH tougher Production Code went into force in July, 1934. Up until then, believe it or not, films often had a lot of content that might shock folks today! A few films had nudit, such as in 1925's "Ben Hur". A few featured cursing or people flipping 'the bird' as in 1933's "Parachute Jumper". And, a few had practically EVERY sin known to mankind in them, such as with 1932's "The Sign of the Cross"...which depicted lesbianism, bestiality and more! This was because although there was a production code before 1934, studios routinely ignored it because they realized that sex sells! But by 1934, ticket sales waned and various conservative groups were pushing for boycotts...hence the tough new code.

When the story begins, the country girl, Lily (Marlene Dietrich) leaves her home and heads to the big city, Berlin. Soon she meets Richard (Brian Aherne) and he asks her to model for him, as he's a sculptor. Well, she quickly agrees...not realizing it means NUDE modeling! And, despite her misgivings, she goes through with it and the statue is exquisite*. Soon the pair fall in love, though Richard is a putz and isn't willing to marry her. However, his friend, Baron von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill), sees the statue and adores it...and is determined to meet and marry Lily! She doesn't love the Baron, but she is now alone and helpless. What's next? Well, quite a bit! See the film and find out for yourself what happens to sweet Lily.

This is an odd film, as it tries to be a wicked AND a nice film at the same time. You don't see any nudity...just the beautiful naked statue of Dietrich. And, although her character poses nude, she is no libertine but a nice and likable young lady.

So is it any good? Well, considering it has a lot of slick Paramount touches, it's obvious the studio wanted to make a prestige film. The director isn't her usual Josef von Sternberg but they instead assigned the film to Rouben Mamoulian (a very fine director) and it features an excellent supporting cast, lovely sets and period costumes. It simply looks great. As far as the story goes, it's quite good...though the resolution at the end did seem a bit abrupt. Still, this is one of the actress' better films...well worth seeing and very well made.

*To promote the film, apparently Paramount made many copies of the statue and set them to theaters around the country. I would LOVE to find and purchase one of the statues....though I've not been able to find anything more about it on the internet.

What will inevitably captivate you in this film is the overwhelming playacting performance by Marlene Dietrich, here for once in the 30s doing without Josef von Sternberg and instead in the hands of Rouben Mamoulian, who makes her perform like von Sternberg never did. It's a sad story of the deflowering of an ideal country girl who has lost her father andf therefore is sent to her aunt in Berlin, who keeps a bookshop and who is not a good aunt, while a sculptor lives on the opposite side of the street. He becomes interested in her as a model, she finds him something of an ideal correponding to the romance of the "Song of Songs" of Solomon, and naturally it cannot end very well. Her way down into decay and degeneration is naturally shocking, but of course this was made in Hollywood, and Hollywood always has a remedy. Brian Aherne is excellent as the sculptor in his egoistic self-satisfaction, while his friend the baron (Lionel Atwill) is not as bad as you might suspect and also gives an excellent performnace in all his vanity. The story by Hermann Sudermann is a kind of naturalistic morality, but the direction of Mamoulian and Dietrich's acting lifts it up to a level of high artistry and unforgettable quality, as usual in Mamoulian's films remarkably so in the cinematography. The music is a mix with Tchaikovsky dominating and accompanies the story well. In brief, this is one of Marlene Dietrich's most unforgettable films and greatest performances.

With erotic Bible verses to sinful Berlin: Marlene Dietrich and Brian Aherne sing the song of love

Hollywood major PARAMOUNT has taken action on its star, who is already failing at the box office. For this film, DIETRICH had to do without her house director Josef von Sternberg for the first time, which is said to have not suited the diva at all. But Rouben Mamoulian also knew how best to illuminate DIETRICH. In the same year he was allowed to direct GARBO as "Queen Christine" for the rival studio MGM. After this year, the good man probably knew what he had achieved...

The very young Lilli (OSCAR candidate Marlene Dietrich) has just lost her beloved father, to whom she always read from the Song of Solomon. The girl from the country sets off for Berlin straight from her father's gravestone. There she lives with her old aunt Rasmussen (gorgeous: Alison Skipworth), who runs a small bookstore. Aunty is a terrible hypocrite who has sold her own daughters for Jamaican rum. By chance, Lilli meets the dashing sculptor Richard Waldow (OSCAR candidate Brian Aherne) in the shop, who has his studio right across the street. Lilli secretly visits him there and, after initial hesitation, even models for him. They both fall in love, but Richard doesn't want to commit. He leaves Lilli to the unsympathetic Baron von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill), who has fallen in love with Lilli's marble statue. It happens as it has to happen: Lilli becomes Baroness Merzbach and from now on lives in a stately property. There she meets the housekeeper Miss Schwertfeger (wonderfully scheming: Helen Freeman), who was previously the Baron's lover, and the stormy youngster von Prell (Hardie Albright), who doesn't just want to teach her to ride. After the Baron has used all his might to make Lilli a socialite, he can't resist showing the young sculptor his work. The situation escalates! Lilli has to escape. And again DIETRICH ends up in the gutter in a film, but that's not the end of the story...

Based on a novel (1908) by Hermann Sudermann, PARAMOUNT conjured up a lot of German flair into the studio. DIETRICH sings again in German: Röslein auf der Heide. All you can see of her are her beautiful legs and some cleavage. As a marble statue, it can be stark naked and examined from all sides. The film was made before the Hays Code came into force, so the audience could still be offered something. But that fits the topic, because the Song of Solomon is so erotic that you wouldn't expect these love verses to be in the Bible.

A classic well worth seeing with the unforgettable Marlene Dietrich!