How many women can Marlene Dietrich be? According to the fifth film made with Josef von Sternberg,
Blonde Venus (1933), more than one. Although
Blonde Venus is primarily a story about a mother’s love, Dietrich moves through several personae in order to show the power of a mother’s unconditional compassion, care, and love for her child.
The story itself was Dietrich’s creation. Just like most of von Sternberg’s films (and certainly those he made with Dietrich), there are several levels that are chronological and aesthetic, which weave the story in a way that elicits tension and resolution. Von Sternberg is a director who works on the principle of