Length: 99 minutes
Director: Josef von Sternberg
Cast: Emil Jannings, Marlene Dietrich, Kurt Gerron, Rosa Valetti, Hans Albers, Rolf Muller, Roland Varno, Carl Balthaus, Charles Puffy, Gerhard Bienart, Wilhelm Diegelmann
Eric's Impressions: This is a heartbreaking story centering around the life of Professor Immanuel Rath, played masterfully by Emil Jannings. Falling in love spins his life out of control. The object of his affections is Lola, played by screen legend Marlene Dietrich. As Jannings hooks up with Lola's traveling show, and in turn her, a creepy clown starts following him around without ever uttering a word. Think of the clown from Stephen King's "It" before he loses it. I was disturbed by his sad, pathetic presence not realizing that the director was foreshadowing the fate of the Professor with him. This is a sad movie without a happy ending like so many of the American films of this time period.
Natalie's Impressions: Emil Jannings is far and away the star of this film. Dietrich became famous in Hollywood with Sternberg after this film. This film put her on the map, but Jannings' performance is the most memorable for me. He channels the desperate love-lorn old man so well. He plunges himself into the role in a way that is so completely devastating. He plays with the viewers emotions throughout the course of the film. At the beginning he is not a likeable character. He becomes more likeable as he falls in love but at the same time the viewer feels sympathy for him as the inevitable downfall of his character looms ahead. By the end, he tries to regain some of his dignity by leaving the Blue Angel and returning to the college, thus taking charge of his own life again. But it is too late; he dies sitting at his old desk in the classroom in which he once taught. A true tour d'force by Jannings.
COUNTDOWN: Just 964 movies to go!
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