Mode of "Express"

It was a mere 17 months or so ago that I waxed all delirious over at MUBI, or The Auteur's Notebook as it was called then, about what a crime it was that von Sternberg's immortal 1932 Shanghai Express was not yet available on domestic DVD, so I would be remiss if I did not point out that the film, along with its thematic companion piece Dishonored, is now out in a handsome package from the TCM Store, and that the restored/remastered Shanghai does indeed look pretty gorgeous, better than the prior foreign-region version, all we could ask for beyond this is a Blu-ray disc that we're not going to get, etc., etc.

Now I've been hearing a lot of talk from a lot of honkeys sitting on a lot of money (okay, maybe that last part isn't true) about how they maintain that chaos cinema is the future and beyond it is that we have to deal with it because it is the currency (whoever can name the three records that this passage is derived from gets...well, lots of brownie points with me), and fine, that may well be the case. But I'll just add as a personal note: I don't care how "slow" or "corny" or whatever you can make a case for its being, in my book if you can't get Shanghai Express you don't get movies or film or cinema or what have you and I don't want to have a conversation with you about it or probably anything else for that matter. There. I've said it. It's a tough stance but in some ways it makes life easier. It also deprives me of anecdotes about, say, being puzzled by a close friend who's quite intelligent and sharp and a real mover and shaker in today's new media landscape who couldn't relate to Psycho, and isn't that interesting, which I could use to pepper a thumbsucker for the glossies, but that's just gonna have to be my lot in life.

I haven't looked at Dishonored yet, but will soon. Here is an interesting passage from Luis Buñuel's My Last Sigh concerning a sojourn in Hollywood in the early 1930s. It contains "spoilers":

In my frequent moments of idleness, I devoted myself to a bizarre document—a synoptic table of American cinema. There were several movable columns set up on a large piece of pasteboard; the first for "ambience" (Parisian, western, gangster, war, tropical, comic, medieval, etc.), the second for "epochs," the third for "main characters," and so on. Altogether, there were four or five categories, each with a tab for easy maneuverability. What I wanted to do was show that the American cinema was composed along such precise and standardized lines that, thanks to my system, anyone could predict the basic plot of a film simply by lining up a given setting with a particular era, ambience, and character. It also gave particularly exact information about the fates of heroines. In fact, it became such an obsession that Ugarte, who lived upstairs, knew every combination by heart.

One evening, Sternberg's producer invited me to a sneak preview of Dishonored, with Marlene Dietrich, a spy story which had been rather freely adapted from the life of Mata Hari. After we'd dropped Sternberg off at his house, the producer said to me:

"A terrific film, don't you think?"

"Terrific," I replied, with a significant lack of gusto.

"What a director! What a terrific director!"

"Yes."

"And what an original subject!"

Exasperated, I ventured to suggest that Sternberg's choice of subject matter was not exactly distinguished; he was notorious for basing his movies on cheap melodramas.

"How can you say that!" the producer cried. "That's a terrific movie! Nothing trite about it at all! My God, it ends with the star being shot! DIetrich! He shoots Dietrich! Never been done before!"

"I'm sorry," I replied, "I'm really sorry, but five minutes into it, I knew she'd be shot!"

"What are you talking about?" the producer protested. "I'm telling you it's never been done before in the entire history of the cinema. How can you say you knew what was going to happen? Don't be ridiculous. Believe me, Buñuel, the public's going to go crazy. They're not going to like this at all. Not at all!"

He was getting very excited, so to calm him down I invited him in for a drink. Once he was settled, I went upstairs to wake Ugarte. 

"You have to come down," I told him. "I need you."

Grumbling, Ugarte staggered downstairs half-asleep, where I introduced him to the producer.

"Listen," I said to him. "You have to wake up. It's about a movie."

"All right," he replied, his eyes still not quite open.

"Ambience—Viennese."

"All right."

"Epoch—World War I."

"All right."

"When the film opens, we se a whore. It's very clear she's a whore. She's rolling an officer in the street, she..."

Ugarte stood up, yawned, waved his hand in the air, and started back upstairs to bed.

"Don't bother with any more," he mumbled. "They shoot her in the end."

Of course, the beauty of the von Sternberg/Dietrich films is that the platitudinous machinations of plot are entirely subordinate to the insane glories of the shooting and mise-en-scene, as I hope I conveyed in the MUBI piece about Shanghai Express. Still. Pretty funny anecdote. 

Comments

[David Ehrenstein]

Clearly Bunuel didn't cotton to Marlene.

[Petey]

"all we could ask for beyond this is a Blu-ray disc that we're not going to get, etc., etc."

But why the hell not? This is a serious question.

I mean, if they're going to put out a remastered disc, why the hell not release it in Blu? What am I missing here?

I'm not asking for an "ultimate restoration job". Just take what you have, and toss it out in 1080 instead of 480. What's the downside? If someone ever does an "ultimate restoration job", then you can RE-RELEASE it and charge more bucks.

(Of course, ALL the Von Sternberg / Dietrich movies should be out on Blu, but I just don't get the downside of releasing whatever is ready to go.)

[Ian]

1. The auteur typically employs multiple perspectives on the same scene. This approach will enable the auteur to transform a short story into a film of epic proportions. The auteur characteristically demonstrates disregard for linear plotting. For the auteur Repetition is at the core of Deconstruction.

[Oliver_C]

"Just take what you have, and toss it out in 1080 instead of 480."

For that, what you have has to be in 1080 -- and preferably 'p' not 'i' -- in the first place.

[Petey]

"For that, what you have has to be in 1080 -- and preferably 'p' not 'i' -- in the first place."

The master is a film print, not a 480 line video copy. There is no earthly reason not to release it as Blu. A quick 'n' dirty Blu transfer is still going to be miles better than a DVD transfer.

[Brian]

Love that Bunuel anecdote, which I've used in film classes many times. And I'm in love with your second paragraph here.

[Scott Nye]

My drama teacher in high school had a mandate that he wouldn't talk about movies with anyone who disliked JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO, and, knowing him, and knowing JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO, I had to say he had a point. Gotta draw the line somewhere.

[Oliver_C]

"A quick 'n' dirty Blu transfer is still going to be miles better than a DVD transfer."

Isn't there a very contrasty Blu-ray of 'The Stranger' out there that even Gary Tooze (no fairweather friend of HD he) admitted looked worse than the best DVD? In the UK, when Masters of Cinema released 'The Iron Horse' and 'A Man Vanishes' on DVD only, however reluctantly, they said Blu-rays would only exacerbate the many deficiencies of the source materials.

[The Siren]

Oh dear. This person who does not dig Psycho -- is that ME? Is the "mover and shaker" thing supposed to put me off the scent? (I don't even shake IMDB ratings.) Because dear Glenn, I swear I have never argued that it's a bad film or that it doesn't deserve to be considered a landmark; just that after Anthony Perkins cleans up the shower, the movie gets a lot less interesting to me, though the closing shot is a lulu.

Also, I would be a bit leery of anyone who can relate to Psycho...appreciate, no problem, but relate, that would be worrisome, yes? Especially if they're running a B&B or dealing with their boss's money in any capacity.

In any event, I pass the "digs Sternberg in general and Shanghai Express in particular" test with flying colors. Shanghai Express is absolutely stunning. Did any actress ever have a director more wholly dedicated to showcasing her beauty? Dietrich is out-and-out inhuman in this one. And it isn't as though von Sternberg neglected Anna May Wong's looks. In fact, I've said before and would say again that Wong is the linchpin of the movie: " “I confess, I don’t quite know the standard of respectability that you demand in your boarding house." That's the whole point, right there. In addition to your impatience with someone who doesn't get the visuals, I would argue the ears off of anyone who thinks Sternberg, and particularly this movie, is all style and no substance.

[JonasEB]

Oliver, the Universal Sternberg/Dietrichs already have HD masters. Like Warner, Fox, and the other studios, and Criterion, they've been making HD masters for a decade - Warner and Criterion use these decade old masters for Blu-rays frequently. The Sternbergs can easily get a 1080p job if a willing party wanted to do them.

You can't compare professional studio work to a cheap public domain release like The Stranger, which is either simply upscaled SD (which it is) or the worst DVNR job ever attempted on an old (non-studio owned) collector print.

MOC's decision was financial - they have to pay substantially more to make a Blu-ray. If cost wasn't an issue, they certainly would have released those two films on Blu-ray and they would have looked better (2/3 of The Iron Horse would look spectacularly better in HD.) Damage doesn't stop a Blu-ray from improving unless the emulsion is seriously deteriorated which isn't the case for either of those films. MOC originally planned Island of Lost Souls as a DVD only release, later changing their minds and going Blu - the Sternbergs are in the same or better condition.

The BFI Blu-ray of Ozu's There Was a Father definitely looks better than the DVD - damage or no, there is increased detail, superior motion, and it looks like film. It "pops" to me.

[Glenn Kenny]

Oh, Siren, don't be silly. OF COURSE it isn't you. And by "relate" I mean, you know, CINEMATICALLY, not as a person, or aspiring serial killer or anything. I would never make an attack on you, veiled or otherwise.

I will admit, though, that I kind of resent how you're ever compelling me to OUT myself somehow. As proof of my assertion, then, here, here is the piece I was being cranky about:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay/grey-matters-chaos-is-here-to-stay#

Happy? Now Ian Grey can be irritated with me!

[Petey]

"MOC's decision was financial - they have to pay substantially more to make a Blu-ray."

That's the part that confuses me. I don't see the substantially increased costs to make a Blu.

The blank discs cost a little bit more. The burners and other equipment cost a little bit more. But we're talking about less than 5% in increased costs, no? And you can charge 10% - 50% more for the product, and have happy customers. I still don't get the issue here.

[JonasEB]

Petey, the licensing cost for Blu-ray is thousands of dollars more than DVD. For a small group like Masters of Cinema that has a major impact on how many copies they need to produce and sell to break even and make a profit.

[The Siren]

Ha! I didn't read it as an attack, I read it as pained incomprehension...and I don't wish to cause you pain. Or Mr. Grey for that matter. Hope he forgives me too.

[Petey]

"Petey, the licensing cost for Blu-ray is thousands of dollars more than DVD. For a small group like Masters of Cinema that has a major impact on how many copies they need to produce and sell to break even and make a profit."

OK. I'm up to speed now. So, then, my question becomes why not cut out the middle man?

Why doesn't UNIVERSAL release Blu discs of the Sternberg/Dietrich movies? Free the damn back catalog! If they don't have to pay licensing, since they own the movies, they should easily be able to sell enough discs to cover the costs of a quick 'n' dirty Blu release. It's just picking dollar bills up off the sidewalk, no?

I'm just baffled at the ultra-slow release of back catalogs into Blu. It's as if every Blu release must be an event, when they should just get all the stuff out there and sell into the long tail. When they want to do an event release, they can add extras and re-release at a higher price point.

I just don't understand the economic reasoning in keeping the back catalog off the market, when quick 'n' dirty Blu's of somewhat notable movies should be able to easily move more than enough copies to cover the costs of the release.

[Brandon]

I don't think studios have an incentive to release back catalog titles on Blu-ray anymore with the market apparently "dead". We can only hope they will all start their own "studio clouds" soon enough for people to subscribe to and stream (I still prefer to "own" my own copies, though).

On a slightly related note, Warner Brothers allegedly denied the BFI the ability to release the newly restored "original British cut" of THE DEVILS on Blu-ray. This apparently has something to do with the aforementioned different licensing agreements for different formats. This makes me sad (I'm still buying it, though!). I also remember reading somewhere that another recent, notable title, Sion Sono's LOVE EXPOSURE, was only released on DVD by Olive films, because the licensing rights for SD and HD are actually owned by different "people". This makes significantly less sad, but is still perplexing.

[Randy Byers]

Now you've got me imagining Marlene singing "Hate and War".

[Tom Russell]

"...just that after Anthony Perkins cleans up the shower, the movie gets a lot less interesting to me..."

I don't think you're alone there. At the very least, my missus and I share that feeling. It's a great film, but let's say that some parts of it are greater than others. :-)

[Jaime N. Christley]

It's my understanding that both PSYCHO and SHANGHAI EXPRESS are both in the canon, but Hitchcock's film is more divisive than Sternberg's. I've met a few highly "accomplished" (if that's the word) cinephiles who don't quite love it. I'm one of them. But SHANGHAI EXPRESS (alongside MOROCCO) seems to have the whole demographic sewn up.

But don't we all have stuff we don't like that would harm our credibility among the cinephile populace at large? I just wrote an appreciative but decidedly non-pious (and therefore potentially heretical) review of CASABLANCA. I guess the point is not to publicize this stuff too often or too loudly, or that's all you'll be remembered for.

[supra shoes for sale]

A little pot is soon hot. @.@

[LexG]

Hey Jaime Christley can you please fire your coworker idiot Diego Costa for using the word "casted" in a review?

"played by the jarringly casted Snoop Dogg..."

CHRIST, how LOW RENT is SLANT MAGAZINE that they EMPLOY-- as in pay moneys-- to unintelligent people with bad grammar?

Who the hell is Diego Costa? Another NYC Latino wonder like Gabe Toro or Ed Gonzalez?

Christ, Kenny wouldn't use "CASTED." JESUS.

[jbryant]

Lex: I hate to say it, but "casted" has gained such ground in recent years that it has become accepted as correct in some quarters. Coincidentally, I was just Googling about this today when I saw it used for the umpteenth time in the last couple of months. It really grates on my ears, but these kids today...

[That Fuzzy Bastard]

Wait, when did Slant start paying moneys?

[Jaime N. Christley]

It's news to me.

[Shamus]

Straub relates a "frightening" Bunuel anecdote in Costa's WHERE DOES YOUR HIDDEN SMILE LIE? Bunuel is once told that a famous Hollywood director lived nearby whom he ought to meet- Nicholas Ray. They meet and over dinner Ray proceeds to relate the most ghastly thing Bunuel has ever heard about filmmaking: that if a director is to have a career in Hollywood, then he could not, absolutely could not, direct a film with a lower budget than his previous project.

Regardless of whether it's true, there's another instance of Bunuel's warm bias against Hollywood.

[I.B.]

LOOK AT HER!!!

LexG, I are disappoint.

[preston]

@Shamus, Bunuel relates that same story re: N. Ray in "My Last Sigh" as well. Also there is an amusing story of Bunuel getting kicked off a set from Garbo herself which may have colored his ideas on Hollywood film production.

If I'm not mistaken (Eduardo) Ugarte was the co-screenwriter for "The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz" with Bunuel. They clearly went off the map or ‘pasteboard’ as it were on that one.

Incidentally, I’ve been on a huge, self-imposed, Bunuel cram-course. Does anyone know where I can find a copy, preferably with English subtitles of his “La fièvre monte à El Pao?”

[Stephanie]

I saw Dishonored in a repertory house many moons ago. Dietrich was most fetching, still not yet a stylized version of herself, especially when applying her lipstick just before the firing squad takes aim, but otherwise I recall it as pretty bad - much merriment in the audience, especially at Victor McLaglen's mugging.

[Shamus]

@Preston: In the Costa film, Straub (vaguely) acknowledges the source you mention. I would like to hear the one about Garbo and Bunuel, though.

Another funny thing- on Bunuel's page in TSPDT, there is a list of his "favorite" films (so-called), something which includes Sternberg's UNDERWORLD. So, it was Marlene, then, whom Bunuel had a problem with.

[I.B.]

Hmmm... I didn't remember Buñuel being disparaging of 'Dishonored' in 'My last sigh', so I checked my Spanish copy. Missing is the remark "I replied, with a significant lack of gusto", and furthermore, after his assertion of Sternberg being notorious "for basing his movies on cheap melodramas", he adds "which he transforms through his direction" (I bet in the French original the term was 'mise en scène'), ostensibly for the better, or to another level.

I recall reading several articles of Jonathan Rosenbaum on Buñuel mentioning that old English translations of 'My last sigh' were incomplete or inaccurate. Does somebody here have access to the original French to clear this matter?