Film: Shanghai Express
These two days are film again, which is featuring strongly at the moment - this evening, London Social and Cultural Meetups headed to see Shanghai Express, with Marlene Dietrich, at the Cinema Museum. Seemed to be the best thing on! so I went to that too. We met a bit early, to hang out - a lovely way to start the long weekend. And the organiser is also in the London European Club, where she advertised it as well.
I headed out a bit earlier still, to eat - didn't have to be too early, as it isn't far from home for me. I did stay working a little later than intended - there always seems to be something for me to do these days. But got the bus without much delay, alighting at Elephant & Castle. I hadn't seen much to eat any closer, so had decided to eat at the Nando's there - my first time at this branch.
As I entered, there seemed to be a long queue - oh dear.. except they were queueing to order! (Why do people do that..?) So, when someone arrived, I was immediately seated - a cosy table, right in the back, away from the windows overlooking the roundabout: and I felt rather snug, from that distance, watching the buses swing past and around the corner. I, as usual, ordered on the app - and was delighted to discover that I'd earned enough for a free meal! Cool..
That done, I was headed to get cutlery when I ran into a server called Frank. Frank was perplexed as to what I was doing - was I leaving?! Heavens no, I explained, I was just off to get cutlery - he told me to sit myself back down, he'd get it. (Since when was that a thing in Nando's?! Certainly, I saw other people get their own..) Well, I did indeed sit myself back down, and in no time he was back with both cutlery and wine. And I'm happy to say that I couldn't have wished for the food to arrive quicker. Plus, this must be the first Nando's I've eaten in where they haven't burned the garlic bread..!
It was all gorgeous. I was nearly finished when the girls at the next table, having finished their meal, went to the loo, leaving their drinks and a coat behind. A very perplexed lady came to clear the table - when I saw her about to take the coat, I stopped her; they've just gone to the toilet, I explained! Dearie me, she was very confused - she managed to clear the plates, and would have taken the drinks, but that she thought twice. As it was, she put the coat back on the wrong chair, and mixed up the drinks.. really, is it that weird a concept? Similarly, when I was waylaid by Frank earlier, I could just have been going to the loo, couldn't I? Anyway, when I finished, I headed out - at which point, someone sent me a funny cat video, which I paused, just before exiting, to read. Only for a staff member to move me on, because I was "blocking the passageway". Sure enough, I was blocking an empty passageway.. The staff there need a chill pill, methinks.
Walked to Kennington Tube, where I was to meet the organiser - and we headed straight off to the museum, where the others were waiting. Unfortunately, the doors weren't even open yet.. meantime, we were entertained by one of the museum's two resident pussycats - Garbo and Marble. We weren't sure which this was - but puss seems to have accompanied us inside, and was later observed on the cafe counter, attempting to run off with anything that could be eaten or drunk..
As to us, we brandished our tickets at the box office, and were given what turned out to be raffle tickets - the prize was a book about Dietrich, written by her daughter, and I can tell you now that none of our group won. The draw was held after the screening. And so, we continued upstairs, to the museum proper, where the screening was held - and which remains a treasure trove of memorabilia:
We got a drink, and headed for the comfy seats while they were available - the front rows, which also have the best view, of course. I tell you, this evening's showing was packed - and it filled up really quickly! There was hardly a seat to be had by 7pm, half an hour before the scheduled start time. Naturally, they started late. In the meantime, we were treated to a gallery of publicity photos - of both Dietrich:
..and her co-star, Anna May Wong - of whom, I have to say, I'd never heard, much less seen on film:
Impossibly glamorous photos ran, one after the other - including a couple of very interesting ones, taken at a party in Berlin, it seems, and showing them in the company of Leni Riefenstahl.. Now, tonight's showing was part of a series called Women and Cocaine (that's certainly what it said on our tickets). Championing women's cinema, it gets its name from a quote from Tallulah Bankhead (also displayed):
Well now, they made films very differently back in 1932, that's for sure. For one thing, the film isn't at all sure what it is - is it an action film, a comedy, a romantic film..? No harm in being all three, of course.. most of the action takes place aboard the Shanghai Express train, on board which they're all going to be for a couple of days, travelling from Peking (Beijing). There's history between Dietrich (a shady character herself, known as "Shanghai Lily") and a handsome young British army officer on board. She and Anna May Wong share a cabin. And en route, they run into some revolutionaries..
Apparently, it won an Oscar for cinematography - and there is, for sure, a terrific opening sequence, as the train creeps through the suburbs of Beijing, houses built right up to the tracks and people leading livestock across them. And Dietrich, in particular, is beautifully shot, the lighting framing her most dramatically.
Much comedy is had from the leading ladies' disdain for other people's opinions of them. The British officer is the strong, generally silent type. Then lo, danger strikes.. now, that bit is quite interesting, much being implied rather than explicitly shown. And the officer is in danger.. and gee, all of a sudden, Shanghai Lily develops a soul, and reveals herself to be madly in love with him (discreetly, and not to him). And all that's fine too. Cue lots of amusement from the audience, mind, as the officer charges around the screen being daring.
What annoyed me about it was the way that, by the end of the film, she's turned from a femme fatale to, quite literally, a lovesick teenager, simpering and coy. All I can say is, standards for both men and women were a lot different, nearly 100 years ago - men dashed around being daring, and women let on they were interested by hinting and cooing. (Jeez.) Well, anyway, it is an interesting film - not much dialogue of note, I have to say, but I guess they let their actions speak for them, in those days..
Afterwards, we repaired to the pub. Two adjoining pubs are a short hop from Kennington, where most of the group were headed afterwards - The Old Red Lion was packed, so we headed for The Mansion, which, despite multiple screens showing sports, was almost empty. I noted they have doors that can be opened in warmer weather. I also see they have a Thai restaurant! Might try that, if I'm down this way again. Anyway, good atmosphere, friendly staff - we stayed for just the one.
Comments
Post a Comment