Scarlet Empress (1934) was directed by Josef von Sternberg and starred his wife Marlene Dietrich as Catherine the Great. I found this film the most captivating film on the required watching list to date.
Highlights included the contrasting camera angles. I loved the use a high corner camera angles when introducing new characters into the scene (eg when Dietrich meets Count Alexei). The distance allows for the audience to feel like an observer which really contrasts the long sustained head shot of Dietrich when marrying the Duke which presents a more intimate effect. Apparently at the time this head shot was revolutionary one so close had never been done before.
Another interesting feature was the wide shots of the city. Moscow was represented in two separate ways: a model and a painting. Both were effective but my favourite was the model. The interior design was also very intriguing as you had these gigantic doors that went all the way up to the ceiling and in contrast you had the throne with the headed eagle intertwined to create a sinister yet powerful effect. To add, their were also sculptures of old men everywhere with their heads in their hands or holding candles. It gave the palace almost a horror setting which added to the madness of her husband the Duke and the madness of the current Empress (the Duke's Mother).
Lastly, I found the final sequence where she's overtaking her husband as Empress of Russia very invigorating and I loved how she wore trousers with a military styled uniform. I thought interesting as it linked to the true story about Dietrich in Paris where she wore a suit (which was illegal for women to wear trousers at the time in Paris).
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