TH
The New York Times, Mordaunt Hall
Praised the film as an excellent piece of screen artistry, specifically highlighting the brilliant cinematography and Dietrich's captivating performance.
A beautiful temptress re-kindles an old romance while trying to escape her past during a tension-packed train journey.
Directed byJosef von Sternberg
Written byJules Furthman, Harry Hervey
Critical Consensus
7.3
IMDb
83
Metacritic
7.0
TMDB
Visually intoxicating and dripping with atmosphere, *Shanghai Express* is widely considered the zenith of the Josef von Sternberg-Marlene Dietrich collaborations, overcoming its melodramatic plot through peerless cinematography and Dietrich's iconic, smoldering screen presence.
The Cast
Trivia
The film features Marlene Dietrich's famous line: 'It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily.'
It was a massive commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film in the United States in 1932.
Cinematographer Lee Garmes won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, heavily utilizing chiaroscuro lighting techniques to enhance Marlene Dietrich's features.
This picture was the fourth of seven incredibly successful cinematic collaborations between director Josef von Sternberg and star Marlene Dietrich.
The story has been remade by Paramount Pictures twice: first as 'Night Plane from Chungking' (1943) and later as 'Peking Express' (1951).
Reviews
0 reviews
Avg: 0.0 / 5
Critics
V
Variety
Noted that while the narrative was sometimes thin, the sheer visual style and the star power of the cast carried the picture effortlessly.
JR
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
In a retrospective review, Rosenbaum lauded Sternberg's mastery of atmosphere, lighting, and visual storytelling, viewing it as a pinnacle of 1930s cinema.
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