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This ravishing melodrama finds Sirk already in full command of his powers as a master visual stylist. Swedish superstar Zarah Leander makes her debut film for UFA, the state-controlled studio where she would go on to become the most famous (and ultimately controversial) actress of the Nazi era. She plays a London music-hall singer who is sent to an Australian prison after she takes the rap for a check forged by her aristocratic lover. It’s all rendered sublime through Sirk’s dazzling use of lighting, trademark mirror shots, and Brechtian songs, which harken back to his roots in the German avant-garde theater.
With the gifted cameraman Franz Weihmayr in charge of photography, and with a big budget, Sirk here demonstrates the extraordinary range of his talents, particularly in shifting mood and juxtaposing contrasting worlds.

BD25 | 1080p AVC | 01:42:18 | 21.2 Gb + 3% rec
Language: German
Subtitles: English

Director: Douglas Sirk (as Detlef Sierck)
Cast: Zarah Leander, Willy Birgel, Edwin Jurgensen
Country: Germany
Genre: Drama