Josef von Sternberg's "The Scarlet Empress"
The most mesmerizing thing about Josef von Sternberg's 1934 film, "The Scarlet Empress" is its set. While many criticize the historical accuracy of its story, which involved Catherine the Great's ascension to the Russian throne, the thing that keeps the film alive is its immaculate set pieces.
The story takes place in Russia during the 18th century. German noblewoman Sophia, who later becomes Catherine, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Catherine and Peter's marriage turns out to be loveless, as Peter is vile, wicked, immature, and ugly. Catherine takes on many lovers and bears a son. After an unstable Peter takes the throne, Catherine devises a plan to usurp him from his power.
Von Sternberg described his film as an 'execution in style.' The film very much contains a lot of style, something incredbily important in a script so lacking. Sternberg is a director that is a master of atmosphere. Even if this film's story is dramatically uneven, the hyperrealist atmostphere makes up for it. The great palace that the characters inhabit presents a nightmarish labyrinth. Religious sculptures present gargoyle-esque figures whose faces and bodies become contorted, walls are covered with haunting murals and paintings, and darkly lit chambers and room present an overwhelming visual darkness that evokes uncertain fates.
The visual environment also expresses the characters themselves. When we are first introduced to Empress Elizabeth, mother of the heir Peter, she is seating on a giant eagle throne, echoing her power and greatness. Her feirce and unyielding attitude is on full visual display at our first interaction with her.
Count Alexey, who holds tighly to his positions of power by providing sexual favors to both Empress Elizabeth as well as Catherine, at times must observe the ridiculous behavior of the royals around him. His attitude is that of loyalty, yet exasperation. His temprement is demostrated with the statue he sits in while at the table.
Sternberg's attention to light and visual space is also redily important to the catagorization of people in this particular environment. The obscruction of servant's faces via shadow makes them faceless entities to both the viewer and to the people who occupy the castle. The lack of visual representation dehumanizes them. The servants of Peter also become dehumanized when they enter into frame. One of his servants is leading a group of dogs on a leash, the other is always carring a painting. These visual references instill the notion that these servants are treated like pets or placeholdings.
One of the greatest shots of the film is a long tracking shot of the banquet dinner table during a celebratory feast. High bred attendees are draped around the table as they listen to a violinist, while food and clutter are scattered about the table and room. The food and clutter present a visual messiness. There is even a skeleton draped over one of the food pots. Sternberg's intension seems to suggest a visual overindulgence to the point of grotesque. The images create the illustration of overbloated people in an overbloated environment, grotesquely surrounding themselves with mess and decay.
The film itself is historically inaccurate, as Sternberg seems to have thrown the history book out the window in place of his own artistic ideas. However, what can said about the film is Sternberg's visual appetite. The German noblewoman's ascenstion seems inevitable to Sternberg, as the palace presents a stuffy environment of overbloated decay and visual splendor verging on madness. The gothic and dark surroundings warn of immediate danger and death. Sternberg's vision seems very influential on Eisenstein's visual castle renditions in Ivan the Terrible, Parts I and II. Even though the film was not a major success in 1934, many contemporaries look to the film for its remarkable set pieces and visual artisty.
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