Review of Morocco (1930) by Kevin N — 16 Oct 2010

This is the marriage of an actress and a director who helped define the silent screen and weren't quite ready to surrender themselves to the limitations of sound film structure. It isn't as strong as some of their other collaborations, but it does work as a quiet meditation on the illusion of love and the bizarre back and forth attract/repel nature of man and woman.

A hollow Gary Cooper is overshadowed by a haunting Marlene Dietrich who works as both the siren and the victim of this tale, while von Sternberg showcases his uniquely masterful control of the camera and his skill in utilizing the things we can't see, the things that are just off screen- even the things that aren't even visible to begin with, but are suggested with sound motifs and faraway facial expressions.