In week 3, we studied Marlene Dietrich and watched her in the film Morocco. Prior to this week, I did not know who Dietrich was, but after learning about her impact in early Hollywood, I soon realized why she was so popular. At the beginning of the week, we had to analyze four different photos of her and figure out similarities in each photo. In all four pictures she had a slightly squinted gaze and was holding a cigarette. I soon learned that these images perfectly represented Dietrich’s association with the “femme fatale.” A femme fatale is a woman who is adventurous, mysterious, and promiscuous who is likely capable of ruining a man’s life. Dietrich is notorious for playing this type of role throughout her time in film. For example, in the film Morocco, Dietrich plays a woman named Amy who is traveling to Morocco to work at a local club. She meets a soldier who is amazed by her performance. She exudes confidence and seduction which ultimately makes the soldier fall in love with her.
It is very interesting to study Marlene Dietrich directly after learning about Marilyn Monroe. Dietrich’s “femme fatale” role in Morocco is contrastingly different than Monroe’s “dumb blonde” role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. In Morocco, Dietrich plays a woman who is very independent and fully capable of ruining a man’s life. This is a stark contrast of Monroe’s character who is portrayed as dumb blonde who requires a man’s attention and care. While both stars were influential figures for women in film, they both had different stylistic approaches.
After comparing Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich, I think I resonate more with Dietrich. I enjoy how she often plays more of a feminist role and exemplifies independence. She definitely does not need a man to support her but can easily “woo” one if she pleases. It is important to keep in mind that when most of her films were made, especially Morocco, women were often portrayed as being reliant on men. There was a sense of
dependence on men to treat a woman right and to take care of her. Dietrich shatters this gender role. Because of this, I really enjoyed watching her film. While I really enjoyed watching and learning about Marilyn Monroe embracing sexuality, I felt like it was a little too forced. I felt that Dietrich exudes an effortless sense of sexuality and feistiness. It comes more natural to her in my opinion. Additionally, I felt that Monroe was mainly marketed towards the male audience in her films. After learning about her Playboy feature, observing photographs of her, and watching her in films, it is obvious that her sexual appeal is targeted at a male audience. While I do feel like the Dietrich was predominantly marketed for the male audience, I do feel that she was also marketed for females as well. She was a role model for women who wanted to see a woman play someone other than a “dumb blonde” or dependent on men.