Lily is a blossoming young woman soon deflowered by patriarchal persistence, corrupted by opposing masculine ideals. Though the story is pure melodrama the film’s greatness is in Rouben Mamoulian’s deft direction and timing and legendary DP Victor Milner’s framing, camera movement and key-lighting. This film is gorgeous, glowing not only with Marlene Dietrich’s luminous visage but in the natural light compositions of earthly delights! Of course, Milner often frames the naked statue of Dietrich, er, I mean Lily in dominating medium shot lighted, so it seems to be purest white, more alabaster than plaster.
Lily falls in love with the sculptor Richard (Brian Aherne), her declaration of dying eternal affection turns his Artist’s heart cold as stone. Unable to support her (he’s still struggling to make ends meet) his sponsor the militant Baron von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill) vows to take her off his hands and give her a good life...of husbandly domination and ownership, of course. Lily is trapped in this nexus without hope of independence as her role is wife and child-bearer. Richard absconds and the Baron marries her and molds her into his ideal lady. But Lily looks for love in all the wrong places and eventually descends into the sultry and seductive torch singer molded by Dietrich’s own paramour in her previous films. Lily prostitutes her talents until Richard stumbles back into her life but she’s not the same innocent person anymore. She smashes the statue which represents her dignity and virginity, both lost to men who betrayed her for different reasons. As the film ends and Richard holds her in his arms, her almost lifeless response seems resignation and not one of hope. Her black dress mirrors her lost soul.
The opening scene is brilliant as Lily is photographed from the back kneeling at a gravestone. A preacher dominates the composition, looming over her like the plurality of men to come, making her promise to go to church every Sunday. She quickly turns her head and faces the camera for the first time and it’s breathtaking, her round hat like a dark halo and eyes full of innocence. Dietrich is able to channel a waifish charm and subvert the audience expectation (though she will later fulfill such requirements). Then she slowly walks towards the camera in medium shot, in perfect deep focus and hits her mark before the camera tracks with her. She walks under blossoming trees and the music, once solemn, is now jaunty and exuberant. The subtext is evident as she leaves one life behind for a future blooming with potential. When she gets to her aunt’s bookstore, she undresses like an onion peeling one skirt after another until revealing her demure figure. It’s fucking hilarious! Even the final confrontation between Richard and Lily involves a neat superimposition as the present is layered upon a past scene of innocence and hopeful wishes. Then it’s dashed to pieces by the shattering of the statue. Brilliant. Writing about this film in parts doesn’t do justice to the whole as Dietrich, Mamoulian and Milner make this simple story Art.
Final Grade: (B+)