“It's a story of obsessive love, and von Sternberg's version is certainly obsessive. There's a slightly crazy daringness about his approach to the mythic.” - Pauline Kael, The New Yorker
“The best product of the Sternberg-Dietrich alliance since THE BLUE ANGEL.” - Andre Sennwald, New York Times
Monday, June 23, 6:15 p.m. & Saturday, June 28, 6:00 p.m. | When we first see Marlene Dietrich in THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN, she is wearing a towering headdress, in a horse drawn carriage, surrounded by balloons—what an entrance! “Camp is the outrageous aestheticism of von Sternberg’s six American movies with Dietrich,” writes Sontag. In this, their last film together, Dietrich is the notorious seductress Concha to Cesar Romero’s Captain Costelar, who, falling under the temptresses spell, is warned to resist her charms. A veritable feast of baroque décor and opulence, Dietrich’s wardrobe—replete with gowns, massive jewels, and unforgettable hats—is worth the price of admission alone.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Cinematography, Venice Film Festival
Nominee - Best Foreign Film, Venice Film Festival
Summer Camp | June 2025 Specialty Series
In 1964, the essayist Susan Sontag wrote “Notes on Camp,” where she endeavored to define “camp,” an artistic and cultural sensibility. The essence of camp, Sontag wrote, is “its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.” In the 60 years since that publication (a brisk, 14-page read), camp has evolved and flourished: in drag culture, the queer community, and the fashion and music industries. In cinema, camp can be found in the extravagance of a sweeping melodrama or the movie that’s so-bad-it's-actually-brilliant, a film may read as “campy” because of its opulence or extreme performances, or we might call a movie a camp classic because its earnest seriousness makes us laugh all the way to the credits. For Summer Camp, we abide by one of Sontag’s most salient points: “Camp is, above all, a mode of enjoyment, of appreciation—not judgement.” Pack your bags, we’re going camping!
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu