'Dishonoured' comes off to me as perhaps one of my favourite among Von Sternberg/Dietrich's movies together, his style and treatment of black and white shading adding enormously to the film's whole atmosphere and cinematography.It also encompasses the continuous creation of Dietrich's movie 'persona' around this time,the femme fatale who apparently betrays everything but her final, ultimate love, paying the price for it with her own life. The film also shows Dietrich or the director's increasing concern with her own image and the result is so irresistible one can't avoid thinking of it as a masterpiece.Dietrich also transforms herself into something quite different, a plain waitress, almost unrecognizable, showing how through image and acting talent something like that could be achieved in the 30s, once again reminding us how Dietrich was such an incredible actress when it was allowed or wanted. Dietrich's final scenes, after the character's detention and sentencing, are unforgettable as is the cinematography and direction of the movie by Von Sternberg.The scenes leading to the execution scene and the final execution scene itself are unforgettable and leave a lingering effect of sadness and melancholy after the word The End appears on screen. The film's beauty is furthered by the exceptional musical score, and as Dietrich courageously faces the execution platoon arranging herself and retouching her make up the simultaneous surrealism and reality of the scene is a true example of the director and actress's talents and pure magic.
Review of Dishonored
