FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Scarlet Empress [DVD] [1934]

Scarlet Empress [DVD] [1934]
enlarge	Director: Josef Von Sternberg Actors: Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser Studio: Universal Pictures UK Category: DVD List Price: ~~£9.99~~ Buy New: £2.48 as of 24/11/2009 13:25 GMT details You Save: £7.51 (75%) New (10) Used (1) from £2.46 Seller: selectcheaper Rating: 4 reviews Sales Rank: 11581 Format: Black White, PAL Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Region: 2 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 100 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5050582581690 ASIN: B001D1F8NY Theatrical Release Date: 1934 Release Date: October 13, 2008 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: Marlene at her best November 16, 2008 Jl Munro (Strathaven Scotland) 8 out of 8 found this review helpful Contrary to what the cover may suggest, this is a black and white film of the kind that demonstrates how well the medium could be used by a master of the craft. Based on the early life of Empress Catherine the Great it begins with her arrival at court as a young naive bride for the insane Emperor and ends with her triumphant accession as sole Empress of all the Russias. The viewer is drawn into a deadly game of plot and counter plot where the whim of an insane Emperor is the only law and death the penalty for failing to outwit him. The Court is a labyrinth of shadowy corridors, half seen tormented and grotesque religious carvings and servile courtiers whose elegance masks ambition and ruthlesness. Beautifully shot and superbly acted I guarantee that this is one film you wll not forget. Spectacular historical drama from 1934 January 13, 2009 pointone (Bournemouth UK) 3 out of 3 found this review helpful Scarlet Empress [1934] br / br /Joseph von Sternberg directs a spectacular movie of the early life of Catherine the Great of Russia, stated to have a cast of a 1000, and wonderful interior sets with grotesque statues, with corridors wide enough for the regiment of mounted Cossacks to ride around. br / br /Empress Elizabeth Petrovna is played as a kind of dominant peasant mum, I hope the Empress was like this in real life. Sam Jaffe looks suitably mad as Catherine's new husband the Grand Duke Peter probably was, and John Lodge is impressive as Count Alexei the man she really loves. Also one of my favourites C. Aubrey Smith plays Catherine's father the Prince August. br / br /The characterisation is hampered b y the 100 minute running time, nevertheless this is a superb example of a major historical production from the mid 1930's presented in a fine transfer doing full justice to the masterly black and white filming, with a soundtrack from the 1812 overture. br / Fabulous print makes this a must April 30, 2009 B. G. Carroll (Liverpool, England, UK) 3 out of 3 found this review helpful After the disappointing CRITERION DVD (issued 2001) of this classic pre-code movie from early 1934, I was hesitant to buy it again, but this amazingly cheap DVD was a revelation. At last, a really pristine source was found (I believe from the BFI in London) that has finally ensured von Sternberg's masterpiece can be seen again in all its glory. br / br /The sensational photography is what makes SCARLET EMPRESS one of the richest visual treats of the 1930s. No extras on the disc....but at this price, who cares? It's the film that matters, and here you can see it in such lustrous detail, almost as good as seeing a nitrate print in 1934! BUY IT without any hesitation before it gets deleted. The stuff of nightmares March 30, 2009 Bill (Cornwall, UK) 2 out of 2 found this review helpful This is an extraordinary film, in which the Russian court is reimagined as a grotesque, surreal fantasy world, peopled by buffoons and conspirators. The sets are the stuff of nightmares... it's as if Alien's designer H R Giger was let loose on Gormenghast castle. br / br /The mood lurches from farce to pageant, from horror to comedy, and the performances are wildly over-the-top; in one memorable instance Dietrich is transformed from guileless princess to plotting vamp within minutes, jettisoning her little-girl-lost voice and adopting her trademark smoky, seductive accent. br / br /The film displays not a shred of historical accuracy; this is a fairy-tale, and one that's genuinely unforgettable. The drill-bit emerging from an icon's eyeball, the skeleton at the feast, the emperor's pop-eyed manic leer, and Catherine's rictus grin as she caresses her steed - these and other scenes linger long after the closing credits.

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