Shanghai Express | Saturday Matinee Classics

Marlene Dietrich is at her wicked best as Shanghai Lily, a courtesan whose reputation brings a hint of scandal to a three-day train ride through war-torn China. On board, she is surrounded by a motley crew of foreigners and lowlifes, including a fellow fallen woman (Anna May Wong), an old flame (Clive Brook), and a rebel leader wanted by the authorities (Warner Oland). As tensions come to a boil, director Josef von Sternberg delivers one breathtaking image after another, enveloping his star in a decadent profusion of feathers, furs, and cigarette smoke. The result is a triumph of studio filmmaking and a testament to the mythic power of Hollywood glamour. — The Criterion Collection [82 min; drama; French, Cantonese, German, and English]

"Von Sternberg, by sheer hypnosis, chicanery, or what you will, continues to make every gesture, every spoken monosyllable, seem momentously important to the welfare of his pictures." — Philip K. Scheuer, Los Angeles Times

"You can feel the whole thing surging forward like a mighty steam-roller, vivid and exciting, beating headlong into a stirring crescendo that tinkles notes of accented harmony." — Harold V. Cohen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The film has compensating strength in the star [Marlene Dietrich], who photographs more beautifully than before and, though she is acted off the screen by Anna May Wong, shows herself unique in Hollywood by being majestically beautiful." — Robert Herrind, The Guardian

Any film screened at IU Cinema may contain content that viewers find sensitive or upsetting. Visit our Audience Advisories page to learn more.