Crime and Punishment (1935)

Well, even a mediocre Von Sternberg film remains a beautiful spectacle of light and shadow. Crime & Punishment feels very claustrophobic, because you get the feeling of being locked in the chiaroscuro space of the characters. Everything is perfectly exposed (and covered) so that you can also dispense with the artificial with a critical eye.

Von Sternberg swore by the control of a set environment, but where it works with the baroque of The Scarlet Empress or the frills of Der Blaue Engel, it does less well in the contemporary environment in this movie. Less, but good enough to still stand out.

Although the theme of 'The Temptress' is absent, Peter Lorre still tries often enough to stimulate his opponent (the police inspector) in the game of cat and mouse. In doing so, once he becomes confident, he constantly assumes the attitude of that well-known Von Sternberg seductress Marlene Dietrich. Lorre, sexy smoking a cigarette. Brrr.

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I thought it was a rather strange film in which Lorre's forced acting in particular surprised me, Edward Arnold, on the other hand, did a fine job in his psychological acting.

Only towards the end does the film become somewhat interesting .

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