Rating: 
Summary: A TRIP TO THE SPA ......
Review: She always does that to you .... She rejuvenates! Our everlasting 'SHE', she, like the fictional H.Rider Haggard dame was always obeyed.Actually, she's IS not that great in this movie, until the ending when she sings THAT song, wears that dress, and naturally "Joe" [von S.] knew how to light her, this is her vehicle, he made her a star, that sly Svengali. But that's really it, the "creation" of the star in this work. Jannings is aptly dated [much better in the earlier stuff, "Carnival", "Faust"]; but he does brings that sadness of spent old age desperately trying to catch the illusion of youth with immortal Marlena. Yes, the Cabaret performer consuming the old guy with her cold passion, that's basically it, all glitter, cold glitter, a picture of the cynical 20th Century Teutonic maiden. There's an interesting documentary [not the Schell "Marlena" work] occasionally on TV with her screen test intact - should be part of this work. Actually, the German version of the movie is better, and then there's the remake later with Mai Britt, should be double-billed with this one. She was "made that way" - "Can't help it".
Rating:
Summary: This is a true example of a great film classic!
Review: The film devloped the theme of the bird. It symbolized the joy/music of life.
Rating:
Summary: A True Classic
Review: The film that turned the head of Adolf Hitler and sky-rocketed Marlena Dietrich to international stardom is as fresh and orginal today as it was when it first hit theaters in Germany 70 years ago. With the aid of english subtitles, we are introduced to Dr. Immanuel Rath, an esteemed professor of an upper-class German prep school. A stern and authoritative man, his feathers are ruffled severely when he learns some of his students have been neglecting their studies in favor of visiting a night club, the Blue Angel, on the more sordid side of town to hear a beautiful singer named Lola Lola. When Rath confronts Lola, he becomes smitten with her. An infatuation which will eventually lead to his own professional and personal downfall. Emil Jannings (the first person ever to win a Best Actor Oscar) is marvelous as the stuffy and destructive Rath, and his ham-handed pirouette into complete emotional and physical breakdown is mesmerizing. Dietrich is equally fundamental in her role as Lola, slowly seducing, not just her fellow characters, but the audience too, with her entralling presence. Is it any wonder this film lives on?
Rating: 
Summary: Restored classic
Review: The story, while interesting, features a very abrupt transition. One day, the protagonist is a rigid, somewhat sadistic professor, the next he's in a state of complete ruin and humiliation. It reminds me of "The Last Laugh," also starring Emil Jannings. Both of these are films that improve on subsequent viewings, when the shock of the arbitrary overnight destruction of the characters has worn off. In fairness, I must say that if you took many professors out of their safe tenured nests, they'd probably fare far worse than Professor Rath does here. At least he's able to muster up an attractive female companion. This special edition offers complete versions of both the German and English editions of the film. The German version is from a very fine print. It has good detail but is occasionally a bit contrasty. It has marked fine grain throughout, which the compression required for DVD struggles with. If you focus on the grain, it appears to move in fits and starts, giving the subliminial appearance that the picture is constantly going into brief digital pauses. Well, no matter, its still very good. The sound is also fine if slightly muffled. From what I can tell, the English version is from the original camera negative, with one or more prints used to fill in missing or damaged sections. The print(s) are generally as good as that used for the German version, but thankfully without the graining. Where the negative was used, which I estimate is almost 2/3 of the film, the picture quality is truly superb. The sound quality is more variable. When it is good, it is excellent for the vintage. However, many sections suffer from distortion, which exacerbates the difficulty in understanding some of the thick German accents. It seems that someone put a great deal of effort into using the best possible materials on a scene-by-scene basis, and key scenes look far better here than in the German version, which really increases the impact of a film that relies so centrally on its visuals. The conceit of the English version is that English is only spoken where it makes sense for the plot. To drive this, Emil Jannings is an English professor, who insists his students speak English, while Lola Lola only speaks English and no German. Otherwise, everyone speaks German. This works well enough for the first half of the film, after which they give up and just allow the characters to speak English as necessary, even if it doesn't make sense. The actors' mastery of English varies considerably, with only Marlene Dietrich truly fluent. Given most American's aversion to foreign accents, much less actual foreign languages, this was an ill-fated attempt. However, as the first talking picture produced at the German UFA studios, who had been getting world-wide acclaim for their silents, you can see why they wanted to try. While the English version clarifies some plot points relative to the German version, the combination of German speaking, heavy German accents, and distortion in the sound track means most viewers will also miss important plot points that were clear in the German version. Overall it makes sense to view the German version first. This special edition includes attractive menus, a commentary track, photographs, etc. However, the best extra by far is an early audtion from Dietrich. When she sings, she adopts the corny happy style of the day, but she's constantly interrupted by the marginally-competent piano player, causing her to revert to character to threaten him in increasingly explicit terms.
Rating:
Summary: Restored classic
Review: The story, while interesting, features a very abrupt transition. One day, the protagonist is a rigid, somewhat sadistic professor, the next he's in a state of complete ruin and humiliation. It reminds me of "The Last Laugh," also starring Emil Jannings. Both of these are films that improve on subsequent viewings, when the shock of the arbitrary overnight destruction of the characters has worn off. In fairness, I must say that if you took many professors out of their safe tenured nests, they'd probably fare far worse than Professor Rath does here. At least he's able to muster up an attractive female companion. This special edition offers complete versions of both the German and English editions of the film. The German version is from a very fine print. It has good detail but is occasionally a bit contrasty. It has marked fine grain throughout, which the compression required for DVD struggles with. If you focus on the grain, it appears to move in fits and starts, giving the subliminial appearance that the picture is constantly going into brief digital pauses. Well, no matter, its still very good. The sound is also fine if slightly muffled. From what I can tell, the English version is from the original camera negative, with one or more prints used to fill in missing or damaged sections. The print(s) are generally as good as that used for the German version, but thankfully without the graining. Where the negative was used, which I estimate is almost 2/3 of the film, the picture quality is truly superb. The sound quality is more variable. When it is good, it is excellent for the vintage. However, many sections suffer from distortion, which exacerbates the difficulty in understanding some of the thick German accents. It seems that someone put a great deal of effort into using the best possible materials on a scene-by-scene basis, and key scenes look far better here than in the German version, which really increases the impact of a film that relies so centrally on its visuals. The conceit of the English version is that English is only spoken where it makes sense for the plot. To drive this, Emil Jannings is an English professor, who insists his students speak English, while Lola Lola only speaks English and no German. Otherwise, everyone speaks German. This works well enough for the first half of the film, after which they give up and just allow the characters to speak English as necessary, even if it doesn't make sense. The actors' mastery of English varies considerably, with only Marlene Dietrich truly fluent. Given most American's aversion to foreign accents, much less actual foreign languages, this was an ill-fated attempt. However, as the first talking picture produced at the German UFA studios, who had been getting world-wide acclaim for their silents, you can see why they wanted to try. While the English version clarifies some plot points relative to the German version, the combination of German speaking, heavy German accents, and distortion in the sound track means most viewers will also miss important plot points that were clear in the German version. Overall it makes sense to view the German version first. This special edition includes attractive menus, a commentary track, photographs, etc. However, the best extra by far is an early audtion from Dietrich. When she sings, she adopts the corny happy style of the day, but she's constantly interrupted by the marginally-competent piano player, causing her to revert to character to threaten him in increasingly explicit terms.
Rating: 
Summary: You get what you pay for...
Review: This boxed double video set includes the films "Jigsaw" and "Blue Angel." The box features only pictures of Dietrich, and she is listed as the first actor in the cast list for both films. But looks can be deceiving. The "Blue Angel" is a classic and a must for any film buff. However, "Jigsaw" is another matter. The cast, according to the box, lists such well-known actors as Marlene Dietrich and Henry Fonda, however they don't even appear in the film's credits. To be fair, there is a final word of thanks to the famous stars who made appearances in this picture (no names given though). Dietrich appears in only one scene walking across the screen--be careful not to blink or you'll miss her. Also be careful about which film you're watching; the label on "Blue Angel" identifies it as "Jigsaw" and vice versa. Die-hard collectors of particular stars or genre will surely want this set. However, "Jigsaw" is one of the worst films I've ever seen. It's a "B grade" gangster flick with incredibly wooden acting, fight scenes that are obviously staged(incredibly poorly), and don't expect acting from any famous actors. Finally, if you think the poor sound and video quality are due to tracking problems with your equipment, think again. It plays like a third-hand amateur dub left out in the sun too long. The price is low, the "Blue Angel" is a film standard, but otherwise you get what you pay for.
Rating:
Summary: The Best German Movie Ever Made
Review: This film has such depth to it, that everyone who has a chance should watch it. Marelene Dietrich is amazing, her voice even better. A must see movie.
Rating:
Summary: A giant film !
Review: This film is overwhelming . It is a real supernova picture in the great universe of the great films in any age. The presence of that radiant actor : Emil Jannings , the sumptuous camera of Joseph Sternberg , the solid script and the additional presence of one of the most erotic Goddess in the screen : Marlene Dietrich , makes of this stunning tale about a schoolteacher obsessed with a striptease dancer in Germany, is not only quite advanced to its age but also it has constituted in the hidden inspiration of so many next films . Think just in these two : Educating Rita and Monalisa .
The redemption appears as one the sincere motives of the concern of this schoolteacher ; but the another side of the coin is the hidden attraction and the rise of his sexual dragons for this sexy child woman who becomes in the raw material of his dreams .
Watch that film and consider this one and the Scarlet Empress as two towering films of the thirties of that talented film maker : Joseph von Sternberg
Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: This is a great early German film, made when the UFA studios turned out movies that made the rest of the world stand up and notice. Hitler came in and threw out or killed the Jews, Gays, intellectuals, and put Nazis in charge of the film industry. The result was the death of German cinema as art. It has never recovered. This film is so German, you can almost smell the wurst, beer, and kraut. Degradation, decadence, humiliation, cruelty, sex as "just another appetite", the downfall of those who don't keep to a hard line of discipline on their own or submit to authority; all of the usual themes run through this one. Dietrich is really not too impressive (she is even a bit pudgy here) until she sings. When she arches her back, raises her leg, and languidly croons her little song about being helpless to resist lovers, she becomes an international star. She is in total command of the camera and herself. It is a snapshot of a self-satisfied whore, indifferent to what the world thinks or does around her. The film is directed in the classic german expressionist style. An intelligent, enthralling movie that is also important historically as a glimpse into the culture of Weimar Republic Germany.
Rating:
Summary: Falling Too Hard
Review: This memorable, iconic film stars Marlene Dietrich as the showgirl Lola Lola, Emil Jannings as the Professor, and is directed by Josef von Sternberg. Stodgy, upright Herr Professor enters the cabaret after following some of his pupils, whom he's discovered with postcards of the singer Lola. He is shocked by the degradation of the place, but then catches sight of Lola and finds himself fascinated. In spite of himself, he returns again and again to the nightclub, driven by his feelings for Lola, a mixture of blatant lust and intense curiousity. Through a series of dressing room encounters, the Professor becomes acquainted with Lola, who views him as an amusing distraction, a relic with his gentlemanly ways and old-fashioned manners. The Professor proves useful in his way, serving as a foil between her and unwanted advances from customers and unwelcomed suitors. With the best of intentions the Professor offers Lola his hand in marriage, offering her his protection, and his good name. This is meaningless at the cabaret, no one plays by his rules. The befuddled Professor tries to fit in, but cannot, and in the process loses himself entirely. He can't change himself, just as he can't change Lola ~ to change Lola would be to destroy her, just as the Professor, through the change he endures, destroys himself. There is a sort of backhanded morality here: Lola cannot help for what she is, she is a product of what she has seen in her life, what she has been forced to do in order to survive, just as the Professor can't help for what he is, the product of his own background, mores, and values. He might have survived had he realised that what a person portrays on stage is not necessarily what that person truly must be, once the curtain is wrung down. The film arrives to its inevitable tragic end, climaxing with a scene of devastating humiliation. Many underlying psycho-sexual themes run through this film, the most obvious being repression vs freedom, and at what cost 'liberation' is achieved. To view the film in the context of the era in which it was made ~ a time portending many social and moralistic upheavals ~ makes for some interesting discussion. Marlene Dietrich, in her role, is in turns cold and unbending, charming and vexing, wise and vulnerable, and always, always absolutely luminously beautiful. Jannings is heartbreaking as the Professor. A must-see for anyone interested in cinema.
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