Desonrada

One up front negative: Victor McLaglen as a dashing, adventurous Russian officer is very badly miscast.

This is a World War I Mata Hari genre film with Marlene Dietrich recruited by the Austrian Secret Service to spy for them against the Russians. Like the other Von Sternberg/Dietrich collaborations this is all about visual texture and Marlene's incredible persona (which is very much due to her equally incredible talent). Both come together perfectly in the amazing masked ball scene full, full, full of confetti, long twisted streamers, costumed revelers, and uncurling paper party-horns that you blow through to make a high pitched little squeal.

In one remarkable scene Marlene is hypnotic just saying, "No." "Yes." "Noooo." and "Maybe." In another her dialog is a hilarious and inimatable series of "Meowwws." I don't remember her singing in this one but she plays the piano with abandon. Nevermind the plot, this is a film you watch because it is a great vehicle for one of film's greatest, if not the greatest, stars and because it is great cinema.

A beautiful woman whose mystery provokes and rivets all viewers, a vamp, a spy, a seductress, a temptress, a woman of many faces and many names, desire embodied where just a look suffices to magnetize the strongest men. How predictable and 'kitschy' it may seem; nevertheless, how accurately it recalls a tendency widespread in the heyday of silver screen: make female celebrities as attractive as possible so that viewers can flock to see them in their most weird roles. They will become the dream of 'husbands' and envy of 'wives' And while Greta Garbo, the queen of MGM, appeared to stun many viewers as a spy lighting up the candles in THE MYSTERIOUS LADY, the burning desires really burst out here at Marlene Dietrich as a spy X27 playing the piano (manipulating everything) on the verge of climactic insanity.

DISHONORED, quite often compared to some other films of the time and treated in the inferior position to others, is undeservedly quite an underrated production. And sadly so because the cooperation of Josef Von Sternberg and Marlene Dietrich boasts of some really valuable moments here. Set in the early 20th century Austria, the sets seem to stun equally as the music. The whole movie still occurs to be a visually and atmospherically arousing achievement. The use of classical music, which combines the traditional tunes of Johann Strauss's "The Blue Danube" waltz with the unconventional "Waves of the Danube" by Iosif Ivanovici, seems to manifest the core of the storyline: all those contradictory emotions, plans, events provoked by a woman with her black cat.

The woman who is not afraid of life nor death; the woman of many masks who selects within a broad spectrum of roles needed in closely-knit expectations: from a prostitute to a housewife. Consequently, she is a woman who prefers not to give her true name and appears as a mysterious cipher, X27. Besides, she is the woman who hunts for men and ... slowly goes on undressing...not so much driven by the flesh but the duty. There is no need to say more about the character because everything is rewarded by one name - MARLENE DIETRICH. Her marvelous performance is a purifying combination of conventional acting and unconventional ideas, a lovely manifestation of juxtaposing personality. She does a flawless job as a delicious teaser, a sophisticated woman, a masochistic pianist, an extremely funny little housewife but foremost a foxy spy greatly absorbing. Her character stands for a cat no matter if it is a humorous meow or sensual wow. Among her very best roles, many critics recall the finale, the execution when she stays cold mentally and delicious visually (even the lipstick). The moment, though considerably different, is sometimes compared to or rather contrasted with Garbo's walk filled with 'holy bliss' in MATA HARI. Though great is the moment, I prefer another one: seduction of Colonel Kranau (Victor McLaglen) where Marlene embodies desire. "I have a feeling we've met before" appears literal and metaphorical. Moreover, the source inspiration for the the manner the scene is shot, Picasso's "Les Damoiselles D'Avignon," is a worthwhile effect on the screen (Keith Uhlich analyzes it accurately in his 2003 review). And the men?

Warner Oland as General Von Hindau gives a terrific performance in his short but crucial moments for the storyline. Acquainted with X27 at the mask ball (a scene also filled with associations: note the bird and the balloon, for instance), he invites her to his room and there...so much happens, so much is revealed, such a tension grows... Victor Mc Laglen is also captivating as Colonel Kranau who does not merely come to see her for a kiss but... Nevertheless, the man who remains, to me, most memorable is Gustav Von Seyffertitz (also an accurate example for recalling THE MYSTERIOUS LADY).

An interesting film thanks to Marlene and the mysterious lady she portrays. A little bit shocking film like most of Von Sternberg's films but what would it all be if the director were not present, somehow? All in all, no masterpiece but a worth seeing pre-Code production! Highly recommended for silver screen lovers. 7/10

The partnership of actress Marlene Dietrich and director Josef Von Sternberg was a justifiably famous one, and could even be seen as iconic (personally do consider it so). They did seven films together, starting with 1930's 'The Blue Angel' (perhaps the most historically significant) and ending with 1935's 'The Devil is a Woman', all of which ranging from good to outstanding.

'Dishonored', from 1931, is not their best collaboration, personally put 1932's 'Shanghai Express' and 1934's 'The Scarlet Empress' above it. Nor is it their weakest, to me the uneven but still good 'Blonde Venus' from 1932. Of their collaborations, of which this is their third, 'Dishonored' is perhaps their most overlooked, while it does have its drawbacks (well, two big ones) it's still a fine film with a lot to admire.

It is let down by two things. 'Dishonored' does contain some of the weakest writing of any of the Dietrich/Sternberg films, there is some witty spark here and there but other parts are distractingly sluggish and melodramatic with a cornball tone that can get annoying and repetitive too.

Am also of the opinion that Victor McLaglen is unconvincing, the role calls for a more restrained nature compared to his usual roles but McLaglen's performance is far from that, he's too bland for a love interest while mostly his performance feels very odd tonally, with the idiotic constant grin amongst other things McLaglen was like some over-enthusiastic overgrown child or something.

However, cannot fault Dietrich at all here. She is positively luminous in her erotic sensuality, and not only is she fun to watch she also gives a vulnerability that helps the character come over as compellingly real. Nor can one fault the terrific performance of Warner Orland, or Sternberg's as ever accomplished direction that boasts many striking images visually and a way of telling the story that the film remains engaging throughout, script flaws aside.

One can always count on a Sternberg film to be visually beautiful, and 'Dishonored' does not disappoint. Not just the striking use of light and shadow lighting and the sumptuous settings and costuming but especially the cinematography, which is often enough to take the breath away. The music score is stirring yet not intrusive.

Cannot not mention the climactic execution either. A scene that stays with the viewer forever with its emotional impact and gut wrenching power, openly admit to crying here the most for any film in a while. The story is absorbing and goes at a cracking pace on the most part, with the odd bump when the dialogue gets stuck.

In conclusion, a fine overlooked film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

DISHONORED (Paramount, 1931), written and directed by Josef Von Sternberg, stars German born Marlene Dietrich in her second Hollywood film, and third under Von Sternberg. Following the enormous success of German made production, THE BLUE ANGEL (Ufa, 1929), and her Hollywood debut, MOROCCO (Paramount,1930), Dietrich was offered the opportunity to not only be the only female in the major lead, but a chance to break away from typically playing cabaret singers to that of a prostitute turned spy during the World War. With spy melodramas being common ground on screen, the best known being Greta Garbo's interpretation of both MGM's THE MYSTERIOUS WOMAN (1928) and as MATA HARI (1931), DISHONORED attempts on becoming something different, different in terms of Von Sternberg's directorial style, giving this production more of a European than American impression. Although this method was hardly new by 1931, it still should leave a lasting impression, especially for film students.

Opening title: "1915 - A ring of steel encircles Vienna ... strange figures emerge from the dust of the falling Austrian empire, one of these, listed in the secret files of the war office as X-27 might have been the greatest spy in history ... if X-27 had not been a woman."  The story opens in Vienna on a rainy night where a crowd of people witness a body being carried away into an ambulance. Overhearing a streetwalker (Marlene Dietrich) making a comment, "I am not afraid of life, although I am not afraid of death either," a mysterious man (Gustav Von Seyffertitz) approaches her. Escorting her to her apartment, he offers her a job making some easy money as a spy. After turning him over to the police, the man identifies himself as chief of Secret Service Headquarters, leaving the officer his calling card to give to the girl. Realizing the man's sincerity to his country, and a chance for adventure, the girl arrives at the headquarters where she accepts her new role in spite of possible danger and high risks. Working under the name of X-27, her first assignment is spying on General Von Hindau (Warner Oland), whom she meets at a masked ball, who's suspected of being a traitor passing information to the Russians with a clown being his contact. Her job soon finds her trailing that of Lieutenant Kranau (Victor McLaglen) and Colonel Korvin (Lew Cody) as possible threats to her country. Although she proves herself an exceptional spy, X-27 betrays her trust when she falls in love with one of the enemy spies. 

While DISHONORED is slowly paced in true essence of Von Sternberg's direction, a method that tends to bore contemporary viewers, the visuals, however, are outstanding. Overlooking its spy vs. spies scenario, it's interesting pointing out what Von Sternberg does with the camera, especially extreme close-ups of Dietrich's face superimposed by action occurring someplace else between two other characters as she plays her favorite piece on the piano ("The Anniversary Waltz"), or a superimpose of a cat's eyes to reflect the mood of Dietrich's unafraid character. With Dietrich donning several disguises, her best turns out to be the that of giggling shy Russian peasant girl.

While it's been stated that McLaglen's role was originally intended for Gary Cooper (bad casting), Dietrich's leading man in MOROCCO, Victor McLaglen appears to be an unlikely candidate as a Russian spy, a role that should have gone to either Paramount's own leading man of Fredric March, or a European import in the range of Nils Asther, for example. Barry Norton's one brief bit in the firing squad scene where he makes pleas about disobeying orders leaves a lasting impression long after the movie is over. Von Sternberg would reunite Dietrich with DISHONORED co-stars Von Seyffertitz and Warner Oland, in what's considered to be their finest collaboration, SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932), featuring Clive Brook.

Commonly shown on commercial television up to the 1980s, cable TV presentations of DISHONORED have been exceptionally rare. Notable broadcasts have been on the Movie Channel (1991) and Turner Classic Movies (January 2002) as part of its "Star of the Month" tribute to Marlene Dietrich. This and other Dietrich productions during her Paramount years have been distributed on video cassette. As much as DISHONORED tends to be more Von Sternberg than Dietrich, it is Dietrich who makes the film much better than it actually is. (**1/2)

Dishonoured is an under-appreciated masterpiece. Frequently omitted from lists of collaborations between Dietrich and Von Sternberg, the film is absolutely essential to an understanding of the director's artistic technique and the actor's evolution into her status as an icon for every subsequent femme fatale. Von Sternberg applies a rich sequence of layers of style and character that embellish Dietrich's icily stunning allure as an intelligent woman engaged in a deadly quest for more temporal power in the form of top secret military intelligence and empowerment over the men she manipulates. Along the way, his penetrating interpretation of social conventions depicts a chiaroscuro of surrealistic fantasy in contrast with the gritty reality of doom that engulfs his heroine who is ultimately transformed into a martyr to her own - and universal - femininity.