
(West Germany 1983 94m) DVD1/2
Your future is all used up
p Peter Genée d Maximilian Schell w Meir Dohnal, Maximilian Schell ph Ivan Slapeta, Pavel Hispler, Harry Hauck ed Heidi Genée, Dagmar Hertz m Nicholas Economou art Heinz Eckmeie, Zbynek Hloch
Did Schell approach Dietrich to do the film or did Dietrich approach Schell? It’s an intriguing thought which could be answered either way depending whose versions you believe. Dietrich had been asked for interviews countless times and turned them down. Her contemporary Garbo, never gave one, of course, preferring to drift off into the horizon like Galadriel at the end of The Return of the King, or herself at the end of Queen Christina. Garbo retired at 36. At 36 Dietrich still had Destry Rides Again, A Foreign Affair, Witness for the Prosecution, Touch of Evil and Judgment at Nuremberg ahead of her, and endless concerts. Did she meet Schell on the set of the latter, and if so it’s intriguing to think of Schell playing an attorney and Dietrich a witness. What was Schell hoping for?
The premise was that Schell was allowed several sessions, some in English, others in German – it’s all the same to Marlene – and set questions and notes to help him ask the right questions. Some he knew wouldn’t be allowed an answer – there was a contract after all – and others he knew he’d get an evasive one. Schell inter-cuts these snippets with clips from her films, other archive footage and memorabilia. (more…)
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