Quick observation: Sternberg, one of the master's of
mise-en-scène, carefully crafted all his films creating impeccable compositions. In this particular film they are full of anything that can entrap the characters (bars, fences, objects hanging from the ceiling, etc), a common motif among Sternberg films. It gives the viewers a sense of suffocation, of imprisonment, something his characters are constantly experiencing. Here, Prof. Immanuel Rath (Emil Jannings) tries to escape the monotony (prison like) of his daily existence and begins to visit Lola Lola (Marlene Dietrich), leading to their marriage and his short-lived happiness (freedom). But, as many know, prison is inescapable (high recidivism rates, relapse) and Prof. Rath ends up even worse than hew was.
“I care nothing about the story, only how it is photographed and presented.”
- Josef von Sternberg
