The Blue Angel: Kino Classics 2

I love the work of Josef von Sternberg, and the seven films he made with Marlene Dietrich rank, in my opinion, among the masterpieces of the cinema. With THE BLUE ANGEL, released by UFA in 1930, von Sternberg set the general pattern: the meticulously designed mis en scene, the brilliant use of light and shadow, the nuanced performances, and of course, the potent eroticism of his leading lady. This remarkable work was followed by six more, all released by Paramount, all superb examples of cinematic art - MOROCCO (1930), DISHONORED (1931), SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932), BLONDE VENUS (1932), THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934), and THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (1935). They're unique in that they tie into each other thematically and have certain psychological and motivational aspects in common. Together, the six Hollywood films form an arc containing a distinctly personal style and sophistication to such a degree, that in order to fully appreciate one, a viewing of the other five is essential. And yet, unlike a sequel, each can stand fully on its own.Although it started the professional collaboration between its director and star, THE BLUE ANGEL is a film that stands somewhat apart from the six that came after it. For one thing, it had a prior source having been based on Heinrich Mann's 1905 novel, "Professor Unrat". It was also produced in Germany by the UFA Studios as that country's first major sound release, which lent it considerable prestige. Every aspect about the production was given UFA's first class treatment. The great Emil Jannings starred in the role of a respectable but stuffy prep school professor brought to shame and disgrace because of his infatuation with a callous cabaret performer known as Lola Lola, played to perfection by Marlene Dietrich. Her languidly erotic rendition of "Falling in Love Again" whilst sitting provocatively on a barrel, her shapely legs sheathed in stockings, is one of the most instantly recognizable images in screen history. Mann was recruited to adapt the screenplay from his novel, sharing credit with Carl Zuckmayer and Karl Vollmoller. Assigned to direct was Josef von Sternberg, an artistic genius who had a string of successes back in America at Paramount with UNDERWORLD (1927), THE LAST COMMAND (1928, also with Jannings), and DOCKS OF NEW YORK (1928) - films still regarded as being among the greatest of silent cinema. Not surprisingly, THE BLUE ANGEL made Dietrich a major star overnight, winning her a seven year contract with Paramount, and launching her on a carreer that solidified her as one of the most legendary of all Hollywood actresses.Several years ago Kino released an excellent two-disc DVD set of the film, which includes the alternately filmed English language version and an array of bonus material. This latest Blu-ray release from Kino/Lorber contains only the original German version, but scanned at 1080p resolution it edges out the DVD overall. It must be appreciated that an 83 year old film as popular as THE BLUE ANGEL comes with some minor compromises when transferred to HD. The fact that it was in demand over the decades means the camera negative got worn out long ago in making prints, and subsequently even pristine prints became rare. That said, the newly remastered Blu-ray, transferred from archival 35mm elements by the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung, looks fantastic. The sharpness and contrast levels are consistent, with a pleasing grain configuration that, thankfully, hasn't been digitally erased. The disc thus retains a visual integrity to its source, and the movie now looks as good as it's ever likely to look.THE BLUE ANGEL is among the iconic classics of world cinema and one that I personally cherish. For connoiseurs of this film there's no question to buy the Blu-ray upgrade, however keep the two-disc set for the English version.My highest recommendation.