Cheap The Scarlet Empress - Criterion Collection (DVD) (Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge) (Josef von Sternberg) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of The Scarlet Empress - Criterion Collection

I could hardly wait to open this DVD after I was soundly impressed by Criterion's Third Man disc with it's great print and oodles of extras...

Unfortunately this disc has proved the most disappointing DVD I have ever purchased. Alleged to be "A luminous transfer, with restored picture and sound" this only is the case if the restorers were trying to reproduce the standard of a third generation VHS tape. With countless missing frames and splices, frequent audio drops and sizzles and a picture grain which looks like you're watching the film through sand, this is not what I expect from Criterion.

Considering the only other Dietrich movie on DVD - the so-so Garden of Allah - is a gorgeous transfer at a bargain price, this is a huge let down.

Considering most film collectors purchase Criterion DVD's on the strengh of the label alone this is an outrage that they can release such a low quality disc with such a little amount of extra features to compensate...which was the least they could have done.

A visual delight
Marlene Dietrich as Catherine II (not Catherine the Great). If the writing's uninspired and the acting only so-so, this is still a very beautiful film. From early in the talkie age, it is in many ways a silent film that just happens to have a soundtrack. (Though there is some beautiful music here also.) But it's a veritable delight for the eyes: Marlene Dietrich at her most beautiful; fantastical sets and costumes; Marlene Dietrich; a cavalry charge filmed on a soundstage, with real horses; Marlene Dietrich; black and white photography used to it's fullest advantage; Marlene Dietrich. Did I mention Marlene Dietrich? Though relatively few people may seen this film, you can bet most directors have, and they have been copying from it for all of it's seventy years. This is a must-have for any serious movie collection!

quite impressive for its time
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

The Scarlet Empress was one of the last films made before the Motion Picture Production Code began to be more strictly enforced. As a result, it was quite racy for its time and also contains scenes of a torture chamber near the beginning of the film. The movie is based on the diaries of Catherine II (The Great) who was empress of Russia in the late 18th century.

The film covers her life from childhood till her ascension to the throne. The film depicts some of her many adulterous affairs making it controversal for its time.

Thankfully it doesn't perpetuate the wildly popular myth that her death was caused by attempted beastiality with a horse (which never would have made it into the movie anyway.) The film does not cover her death, but for the record, she died after having a stroke while on a commode.

The film has several montages of Russian folk music in it including the original national anthem of Russia, "God Save the Czar"

The DVD does have restored image and sound, but is not as rigorous as many other Criterion DVDs. The DVD has two bonus features. A documentary "The World of Josef von Sternberg" and a slideshow of lobby cards and stills from the film. There is also an tribute to von Sternberg in the liner notes in addition to the regular essay that almost every criterion DVD has.