Since the beginning of major film productions, the general public has shown interest in actors/actresses beyond the movie script. As Hollywood was establishing itself, so was the birth of stardom we know of today. One of the earliest movie stars is Marlene Dietrich. Starring in films such as Morocco, Dietrich was able to captivate an audience by both her looks and her persona. One of her most distinguishable characteristics is her acting as a femme fatale. In film, a femme fatale is an attractive women who’s likely to cause distress or a disaster to a man. In the case of Marlene Dietrich, she became infamous for having femme fatale roles in her films. Because of that, she was able to rise to stardom, and play out desirable roles in her films many women wished they could embody.
Marlene Dietrich had many feminist characteristics through her roles. As a femme fatale, she would often manipulate men in order for her to get what she wants. She would have power over men, and through that receive both her wants and needs. In many ways, she pulled an Uno reverse card on men, and played the same tricks men are infamous for in Hollywood. Because of this one characteristic, she was able to embody something many women wish they could possess. While she has a figure similar to that of Marilyn Monroe, Dietrich was able to use her mind in her roles to get what she wants, rather than her body. Because of this, she could often be considered an early feminist for how she was able to take control of the patriarchy and make it her own through simple mind tricks.
Marlene Dietrich was able to leave an impact through her performances. While the “femme fatale” title isn’t as relevent, women have been able to overpower men, and often get what they want. One of the most popular trends last summer was the “hot girl summer” trend. Here, rapper Megan Thee Stallion advocated for women to not only empower their body image, but to have men beg for them rather than the other way around. This is really similar to Dietrich’s performance in the sense that she was able to manipulate men in order to gain her desires. However, it speaks volumes how much changes have occurred within a 90 year period. Back when Dietrich starred in her films, women weren’t able to advocate for themselves the way they’re able to now. Her performance was seen as desirable to many women because she had the freedom to showcase her manipulations on screen. She embodied what many women desired, which is a reason for her stardom. If we analyze society today, woman don’t need to witness a Dietrich performance in order for them to act like a “femme fatale.” Society has progressed to empower women in ways that weren’t possible in the 30’s. While Dietrich is in no way responsible for these advancements, she paved the way for many actresses in Hollywood, as well as portraying an image many women felt empowered by.