Il cantico dei cantici

"The Song of Songs" could never have been made once the new and MUCH tougher Production Code went into force in July, 1934. Up until then, believe it or not, films often had a lot of content that might shock folks today! A few films had nudit, such as in 1925's "Ben Hur". A few featured cursing or people flipping 'the bird' as in 1933's "Parachute Jumper". And, a few had practically EVERY sin known to mankind in them, such as with 1932's "The Sign of the Cross"...which depicted lesbianism, bestiality and more! This was because although there was a production code before 1934, studios routinely ignored it because they realized that sex sells! But by 1934, ticket sales waned and various conservative groups were pushing for boycotts...hence the tough new code.

When the story begins, the country girl, Lily (Marlene Dietrich) leaves her home and heads to the big city, Berlin. Soon she meets Richard (Brian Aherne) and he asks her to model for him, as he's a sculptor. Well, she quickly agrees...not realizing it means NUDE modeling! And, despite her misgivings, she goes through with it and the statue is exquisite*. Soon the pair fall in love, though Richard is a putz and isn't willing to marry her. However, his friend, Baron von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill), sees the statue and adores it...and is determined to meet and marry Lily! She doesn't love the Baron, but she is now alone and helpless. What's next? Well, quite a bit! See the film and find out for yourself what happens to sweet Lily.

This is an odd film, as it tries to be a wicked AND a nice film at the same time. You don't see any nudity...just the beautiful naked statue of Dietrich. And, although her character poses nude, she is no libertine but a nice and likable young lady.

So is it any good? Well, considering it has a lot of slick Paramount touches, it's obvious the studio wanted to make a prestige film. The director isn't her usual Josef von Sternberg but they instead assigned the film to Rouben Mamoulian (a very fine director) and it features an excellent supporting cast, lovely sets and period costumes. It simply looks great. As far as the story goes, it's quite good...though the resolution at the end did seem a bit abrupt. Still, this is one of the actress' better films...well worth seeing and very well made.

*To promote the film, apparently Paramount made many copies of the statue and set them to theaters around the country. I would LOVE to find and purchase one of the statues....though I've not been able to find anything more about it on the internet.

Were this not made by Rouben Mamoulian and were it not to star Marlene Dietrich this picture would be rubbish but it is made by Rouben Mamoulian and it does star Marlene Dietrich and consequently it's fabulous.

Marlene Dietrich gives an outstanding performance. Her portrayal of an innocent naïve country girl becoming an unhappy woman of the world is both exaggerated to near-melodramatic levels yet is also completely credible and convincing. It's not a happy transition and you personally feel a stab of pain as you sense each subtle change in her personality. You want her to stay that simple, naive sweet girl but realise, as you grow to think you know her, that nobody's forcing her down these paths. Everything which happens to her, she does it to herself. She's a wonderfully flawed cleverly written character.

Even for a 'pre-code' film, the exploration of sexual desire is unusually and overtly erotic. Dietrich's convent-girl character Lily, excited by finding herself in the big city becomes a nude model for a local sculptor and that inevitably leads to a sexual awakening in both herself and the sculptor. As I said, such a load of nonsense, clearly written by a frustrated spotty teenager would need Paramount's A Team to make this turkey float - but they did it in spades and peppered it with some surprisingly sophisticated sexual humour.

Sometimes Mamoulian is less than subtle such as when he has the sculptor caressing the breasts of his life size statue whilst watching the shadow of his muse undress. It's 1933 yet incredibly this is still one the most powerfully erotic yet beautifully sensitive scenes in cinema. That naked, put white statue features throughout the film; it's her Dorian Grey, it retains that Garden of Eden innocent beauty whist the real Lily is gilded with the world.

Another earlier scene which is pivotal to Lily's evolution is when she's first asked to take her clothes off. Just using her eyes, you can see Dietrich has just discovered the immense power over men her naked body has. It's a surprisingly honest depiction of sexuality, identity, obsession but above all: whatever love is. Stevie Nicks wrote that love's a state of mind and this film shows what love means to the minds of all its different characters. It can be creative, destructive, enriching and vindictive but for Lilly it will never be as she dreams it could be as in Solomon's Song of Songs.

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine." Song of Songs 1:2

While in the times of laws and restrictions, Israel was granted Solomon and his poetical spirit of wisdom, in the early years of cinema, Hollywood was granted Rouben Mamoulian (1897-1987) who brought a soul to his motion pictures. At the beginning, I would like to quote his very symbolic statement that defines Mamoulian's exceptional perspective on cinema (from "Directing the Film" by Eric Sherman, 1976).

The innovative director said: "...the arts are the true universal medium. The whole thing should serve to remind you that man still has a potential, that he's not just crawling on earth. He still has wings and he can fly. We need this reminder of faith, of optimism, to reestablish the dignity of a human being."

When we analyze his movies, particularly the two he made in 1933 with two greatest stars of cinema, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, we realize that there is something unique in the direction, in handling of the plots, in imagery and in the whole approach. The director has a great degree of love and respect towards his female stars and allows them to go beyond themselves in every respect. While "Queen Christina" clearly appears to be a Garbo film, "The Song of Songs" appears to be a Dietrich film. Why?

The whole story of THE SONG OF SONGS occurs to deal with the life journey of the main character, Lily Czepanek (Marlene Dietrich). After the death of her father, a peasant girl, Lily, leaves for Berlin where she stays at her unemotional aunt, Mrs Ramussen (Alison Skipworth) who runs a bookshop. The thing she brings to Berlin and appreciates most is the Bible, particularly its Song of Songs praising the triumph of love. Soon, there appear two men in the life of the pure dove: one is the young sculptor Richard Waldow (Brian Atherne) who leads a life of an artist; the other is the rich, materialistic, conventional and heartless Baron Von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill) who has a power transform a shy girl into a sophisticated woman. Is there anyone on earth who can love her soul? Is there anyone whose heart is warm? Does she appear to be strong enough to defend her sweetest affection? Will she memorize the beautiful rhythm of the lovers' hearts?

Marlene Dietrich portrays the character with unbelievable charm, flair, a bit of eroticism. She beautifully depicts a change of heart and many sophisticated feelings, including shyness, enthusiasm, sorrow, disillusion and coldness. She is given some of the most beautiful, poetical moments in the film, including the fabulous spring sequence which appears to be like a touch of southern breeze, like a magical journey into a lost paradise, like a gentle smile of a beauty that seems to overwhelm and supply us with the glimpse of bliss. Marlene is also unforgettable with her eyes and the whole posture when Richard tells her to take her clothes off and... Another moment that is hard to skip is when she, having gone through all this experience, enters Richard's room and sees the sculpture...her face is illuminated by memories, by longing, by sorrow rooted in a loss. A key moment is also her song "Johnny, when will your birthday be" Marlene sings it memorably and wears a gorgeous costume by Travis Benton. But here, there is a need to compare...

Mamoulian appears to be creative when dealing with both Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. The both are given the most sensitive moments in their careers and, although the two 1933 plots have little in common, there appear to be huge similarities. Mamoulian brings out something unique from his stars' depths: all the beauty, all the talent to raise and overwhelm. While Ms Garbo hugs the pillows in the inn where she has experienced love and touches the objects to memorize the room, Ms Dietrich touches the soil and kisses the grass. While Ms Garbo is a beauty, a queen of snow, Ms Dietrich is a pleasure, a girl of spring.

Other cast give more or less decent performances. Lionel Atwill nicely portrays the cold baron, who is a representation of riches and conventions that have little to do with genuine love. He lusts for the innocent dove in order to take advantage of her and, finally, deprive her of dreams and illusions. He is the one who lustfully smokes a cigar when looking at the drafts of her body, his hand trembles and his smoke is on the painting. Brian Atherne is not particularly memorable as the sculptor Richard but he also has some of his good moments. Alison Skipworth has some witty moments as the conservative heartless auntie who does not tolerate much about the youth not being a saint herself...

Another merit of the film are the unique close-ups of the sculptures. The images appear to speak with grandiosity of sculptures and sweetness of love song. The symbolic moment when Lily smashes the sculpture appears to depict the change that no longer allows to turn back.

All in all, I have waited to see the film for a long time and...my patience was rewarded. I highly enjoyed it as a motion picture made so sensitively and poetically by Rouben Mamoulian. Don't ask me why...Perhaps, it is because of Marlene, perhaps, it is because of its beauty expressed in many scenes, perhaps, it is because of its great message: Be alert and don't skip an awakening love. Stop for a while and cherish the miracle of blossoming trees in spring and the joy of singing birds. This is a single gift and its bliss can never come again...

I dedicate this review to my friend whose name is written in my heart. It is thanks to him I have seen this unforgettable film.

If Song of Songs were Marlene Dietrich's first movie, it would be a shoe-in that she rise to instant stardom. This movie would make a star out of anyone and have everyone in the country talking about her. As it was, Marlene had already rocked Hollywood in The Blue Angel and shocked audiences with her tuxedo-clad, lady-kissing song in Morocco, so there was little higher to rise. She managed to top herself...and un-top herself in this movie where she models nude for sculptor Brian Aherne. This is one of the most explicit pre-Code movies I've ever seen, and that's saying quite a bit! It also shows quite a bit, so put the kiddies to bed before pressing play.

Marlene starts off the movie as an innocent, devoutly religious, young girl. She's an orphan sent to live with her aunt and work in a library, but when she sees the handsome, tortured artist working across the way from her bedroom window, her life changes. Brian spots her, too, and he comes to her at the library to ask her to pose for him. He uses the old line, "You mustn't think of me as a man," to get her to disrobe, and when she finally does, he falls in love with her body. Another man, Lionel Atwill, falls for the sculpture as well. He marvels at Brian's creation and vows to have the model for himself.

As much of a visual sensation as this movie is, it's also quite sad. Marlene is so sweet and innocent at the start of the movie, and she even raises the pitch of her normally low voice. She's adorable! It's heartbreaking to see her get corrupted, but she certainly is beautiful from start to finish.

This is such a nasty movie! In one scene, Lionel looks at Brian's initial sketches of Marlene's naked body as he's getting ready for bed. In another, Brian watches Marlene undress and fondles his clay statue. You can practically see him drooling! I was never a Marlene Dietrich fan, but it's no mystery why she was popular after this movie. As handsome as Brian is, it's a waste for him to be in the film. No one's looking at him!

The plot to this film is pretty simple, but wow, Marlene Dietrich is fantastic in the leading role, and director Robert Mamoulian makes the most of his actors and the script in crafting a beautiful film. Dietrich skillfully handles her role which shifts from a naïve young country girl, to a model and lover of a sculptor, to the unhappy wife of an older man, and lastly to a cabaret girl. Her performance is especially impressive for the time, when over-acting and exaggerated facial gestures were common; Dietrich by contrast is polished and smooth, sexy in a sultry, understated way, and quite a singer on top of all that. Director Robert Mamoulian, who also directed the brilliant Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1931, pulls all the right strings here, and there are some beautiful shots, examples of which are shifting clouds in front of the moon and sunlight reflecting off the water as Dietrich is out riding. The movie is also elevated by quotes from the poetry of the Biblical book of the Song of Songs, and it's a nice mix of sophistication and pre-Code naughtiness. The scene when Dietrich disrobes for a nude modeling session, where Mamoulian cuts to sculptures to represent her body, brings a smile. The plot itself isn't going to blow you away, but Dietrich will. Very enjoyable.