Shanghai Express

Audience Reviews

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Poe S Apr 6, 2019 Filled with iconic imagery and the narrative is surprisingly even handed for the 1930s. It throws a bunch of different people with various conflicting ideologies together but never really picks a side. There's also no moral center to the story, even the male lead is mostly just sarcastic. See more

Draco P Jan 3, 2019 The Oscar for Best Cinematography is well earned. Plenty of absolutely stunning shots and very effective camera work. Deitrich, too, is stunning, though the script and some of the supporting performances leave a bit to be desired. See more

Theodore R Sep 7, 2018 "Murder on the Orient Express", minus the murder...whoops, spoke too soon... Takes a while to really get going, being slow and largely unfocused early on, but the intrigue and audience engagement really build as we watch these travelling civilians get caught in war diplomacy, becoming unwitting hostages. A romantic and forlorn ensemble drama that ends better than it starts. See more

Hermione S Mar 9, 2018 I was blown away by this movie, if you liked murder on the orient express you will love this one. a pre code Hollywood masterpiece. Marlene is incredible as the harlot who is really a saint. recommended See more

Draco G Feb 15, 2018 Marlene Dietrich is an absolute goddess in this film, let's just start with that. My god, there are just so many wonderful shots of her that it's hard to mention them all. Obviously the one where she waits in a darkened room, her face upturned to the light, fingers trembling as she wonders if Clive Brook's character will want to be with her again is beyond special. The one with her concerned face through a window, with open palm flat against the pane, is fantastic too. I also loved the scene where she stops Anna May Wong's character from committing suicide with a knife after she's been raped. And how about when she's talking with Brook over what happened to their relationship five years before, and while flicking his hat (which she's wearing) with her forefinger, playfully says "There's only one thing I wouldn't have done....I wouldn't have bobbed my hair." Dietrich plays both cool woman of the world, and broken-hearted/vulnerable very well. Her eyes dance around in many of her scenes, and director Josef von Sternberg wisely gets everything he can out of her, with interesting fashion and tight shots. Her character is expressed so perfectly early on when she tells an old lady (Louise Closser Hale) "Don't you find respectable people terribly ... dull?" In light of that, it's a bit ironic that the love of her life, Clive Brook, is so respectable and restrained. Brook's performance gets a fair bit of criticism, but to me, he turned in a strong performance. I loved how he expresses his anger and disdain in that eminently British way of his. An example is when he rebukes the missionary for questioning the morals of Dietrich and Wong by saying "You interest me, Mr. Carmichael. I'm not exactly irreligious, but being a physician, I sometimes wonder how a man like you can locate a soul, and having located it, diagnose its condition as rotten." Later he gives a thinly veiled threat to Mr. Chang, after Chang says the Governor General will be benefitted by his skill, by saying "I hope someday to have the pleasure of demonstrating my skill upon you." Brook has been thinking of Dietrich for five years and four weeks, ever since they parted, their "smash-up" as he calls it, but he talks about it stoically, and with dignity. Of course, the stoicism of both of them is taken to an extreme, and we wonder a bit why Dietrich doesn't just tell Brook why she acted as she did with Mr. Chang, in the present. There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about it, just doing the right thing, and having faith that the other person will either recognized it or just believe in you. There is so much feeling in these simple lines: Dietrich: "What makes you think I'm nervous?" Brook: "One thing, your hands are trembling." Dietrich: "That's because you touched me, Doc." The supporting cast is also strong, led by Anna May Wong, who I adore. She has less to work with here, but is riveting nonetheless. I loved every languid yet fierce look. I also loved how her character isn't a stereotype, speaking perfect English with that same touch of class and sophistication that Dietrich's does. She first shows this when she says "I must confess, I don't quite know the standard of respectability that you demand in your boarding house, Mrs. Haggerty," in polished tones. There is an international flair to the cast, with French and German mixed in with the Chinese of the locals, though the latter is incorrectly a southern dialect. I wasn't wild about Waner Oland playing Mr. Chang, the half-Chinese, half-European passenger who turns out to be the leader of the insurgents, but it's not an offensive portrayal. Hale's character is the funniest, as she fusses over her dog Waffles, hmmph's indignantly at a fellow-traveler, and says "I've never been so shocked in my life. The Chinese girl deserves all she's getting. But as for the other lady, well, I'm not going to say anything. Of all the brazen creatures, playing the gramophone. She's the most terrible woman I've ever met." That really cracked me up, the nerve, playing the gramophone. Aside from all of these wonderful characters, Josef von Sternberg's story-telling is tight, and the film is highly atmospheric. This one is a must-see from the pre-Code era. See more

Rey S Oct 15, 2017 Shanghai Express is the story of a group of passengers traveling on a train through China. But it takes place during a time of political discord for China, and the passengers get mixed up in it all. I enjoyed the variety of characters and how they interacted with one another. In particular I appreciated the arc that the Reverend went through in the film. Marlene Dietrich has an intriguing quality that perfectly fits this role. It’s impressive when she turns the corner and starts betraying emotions she’s not willing to admit. Clive Brook is OK as her costar, but he is a bit flat. But I did like their interactions with one another, because you can sense the history between them even before they spell it out for us (which was kind of unnecessary.) The story doesn’t always work for me. There are some sections where it feels like the movie is spinning its wheels waiting for the next big moment, and other times when it feels like it’s racing ahead without letting things breathe. However the climax is extremely satisfying and makes up for a lot of the flaws. I’m happy that I’ve seen Shanghai Express, because it’s a powerful tale even if it meanders a little along the way. See more

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Shanghai Express

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