The Song of Songs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Song of Songs Blu-ray Movie Review

A lush black-and-white film featuring a strong performance by Marlene Dietrich

An old-fashioned drama with romantic elements at play, The Song of Songs is a spotlight feature for beloved actress Marlene Dietrich. The film is based on the novel by Hermann Sudermann and was adapted from the play by Edeward Sheldon. The early pre-code production is a bit more risque in comparison to many Hollywood features to follow (in the nearby years-to-come) and has a lot of sensuality at play: Dietrich is stunning.

The gorgeous beauty, Lily Czepanek (Marlene Dietrich), believes in the message of love that is found in the bible and the glorious “song of songs” that are a part of it. After the unfortunate passing of her father, Lily sets out to Berlin to live with her Aunt. As she explores the terrain that surrounds her, a chance encounter turns into a romantic affair when she meets the sculptor Richard Waldow (Brian Aherne). Inspired by her beauty, Richard turns to Lily as his new muse and his art is driven by her radiant figure. Will true love last and strike the perfect chord between the two love-birds or is there more to the story?

The greatest strength of the production is without-a-doubt the performance by Dietrich. She delves into her role with a clear sense of dedication to the part. There is something magnetic about her and the film explores the character through her subtle sensuality and intrinsic charms. The actor never plays the part for laughs and delivers a more serious dramatic turn that explores the nature of relationships.

There are a number of other impressive elements at play in the production as well: the original music score composed by Karl Hajos (She Gets Her Man), Herman Hand (Young Eagles), Bernhard Kaun (The Fugitive), and Milan Roder (Souls at Sea) gives the film a serene sensibility that is tranquil. A laid-back, enjoyable, and melodic musical experience, The Song of Songs is a romantic experience.

Beauty and tranquility.

The costumes by Travis Banton (Trouble in Paradise, Shanghai Express) are similarly effective and manage to make a big impression. The attire for the gorgeous Marlene Dietrich make an impression and add some extra stylistic flourishes to the filmmaking. The art direction by Hans Dreier (Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard) also gives the film a noir-like sensibility that is visually intriguing to explore.

One of the best elements of The Song of Songs is the striking cinematography by Victor Milner (The General Died at Dawn, Reap the Wild Wind). The film has a clearly impressive aesthetic: the black and white visuals are enormously impressive and fit the filmmaking tone from beginning to end. The wide shots give a bigger artistic canvas to the actors and the surroundings make the production feel more alive: the visual cues from the cinematographer drive these aspects home.

The least impressive element to the film (and something which gave me some pause) is the somewhat average screenplay written by Leo Birinsky (The Lady Has Plans, Flirtation) and Samuel Hoffenstein (Phantom of the Opera, Laura). The script seems paper thin in plot and the characters are never given depth on the page. This doesn't translate to the most effective storytelling. If it were not for the great performance by Marlene Dietrich, the story would suffer even more. The story is nothing to write home about (even if other production merits are strong).

Rouben Mamoulian (Applause, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) directed the film with a unique visual approach: everything from the set designs, to costumes, art direction, and black-and-white cinematography is visually unique. Mamoulian also brings forth a solid performance from Dietrich. While Mamoulian should have fine-tuned the script more, the end result of The Song of Songs is still something that has merit and which fans of the lead-actress will want to experience.

The Song of Songs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber, The Song of Songs has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 full frame. The release certainly is a commendable high-definition presentation which fans of the film will certainly be enormously pleased with. The transfer begins with a window-boxed opening credits sequence. Following these brief window-boxed moments (with black bars on all sides), the rest of the presentation sticks to the standard 1.37:1 ratio.

Though the transfer has not been advertised as featuring a new 4K or 2K scan, the presentation is surprising robust and more detailed than I would have expected to find. The silky black and white cinematography looks remarkable and the film has a naturalistic layer of fine film grain. The print has occasional scratches and small marks but nothing major or distracting to report. There are no instances of egregious print damage (like burn marks) or other ailments like telecine wobble. The film is a visual wonder and it has likely never looked better than it does on this Blu-ray edition. Fans should take note.

The Song of Songs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release has received a DTS-HD Master Audio mono audio track. The lossless audio sound mix is highly effective given the age of the elements. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. This certainly is a reasonably effective audio track that preserves the core foundations of the soundtrack. There are some instances of slight hiss on the track but nothing that I would consider overbearing or distracting. The track never sounds harsh or unpleasant. An effective lossless audio track that suits the film well.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

The Song of Songs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle

The Song of Songs Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:42)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: The Blue Angel (SD, 3:43), The Flame of New Orleans (SD, 2:08), The Spoilers (SD, 1:48), Pittsburgh (SD, 2:05), A Foreign Affair (SD, 1:01), No Highway in the Sky (SD, 2:10), Witness for the Prosecution (SD, 3:08), Love Me Tonight (SD, 1:46), and The Mark of Zorro (SD, 1:45).

The Song of Songs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Song of Songs is not a masterful film but it is a commendable one which is highlighted by a great performance by Marlene Dietrich. Dietrich delivers a strong performance and her beauty radiates throughout the film. The script could have used more work, but the directorial approach is solid. Featuring an excellent video-audio presentation, The Song of Songs will satisfy fans of the leading actress. Worth a look.