Director Joseph Vilsmaier's long-awaited biopic of screen legend Marlene Dietrich opens with the star's last public outing, her 1975 appearance at Carnegie Hall. Subsequently backtracking to 1929 Berlin, the film follows Dietrich's rise to fame and international adulation, turning a particularly attentive eye toward her relationship with director Josef von Sternberg (Hans-Werner Meyer) and her years in Hollywood. Screened at the 2000 Cannes Festival, Marlene stars Katja Flint in the title role and takes meticulous care in re-creating pre-WWII Berlin.
~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide