--- title: "The Blue Angel: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-blue-angel/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-blue-angel" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Blue Angel (1930): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 10 reviews: 8 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond positively to The Blue Angel, with praise centred on Dietrich’s cabaret presence and the performances that make its story of destructive desire compelling. The reviews repeatedly find subtlety beneath Dietrich’s seductive manner, noting cruelty, playfulness and energy in her portrayal of Lola. Jannings also draws substantial admiration for his awkward authority and pathos. Praise extends to the sound’s contrast between stage fantasy and backstage reality, and to the film’s increasingly bleak mood. The reservations concern pacing, emotional overstatement and how fairly the drama treats its characters. Views on Jannings differ: Radio Times finds him uneven, while The New Yorker particularly admires his observation of an awkward authority figure. Slant Magazine offers the clearest dissent, finding the gender and ideological conflicts somewhat rigged even while praising Jannings. The spread runs from strong enthusiasm to qualified interest, with no review wholly dismissive. ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2019. Bradshaw calls the film a fierce, enduring masterpiece of erotic obsession. He singles out Dietrich’s mesmeric performance and the film’s sharp connection between destructive desire and economic insecurity. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/may/30/the-blue-angel-review) ## Radio Times — Robyn Karney Rating 4/5. The review is positive overall, while noting that Jannings gives an uneven performance. It singles out Dietrich’s cruel, seductive portrayal and her striking cabaret presence for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-4ozmqp/the-blue-angel/) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Newman regards the film as a compelling melodrama and a showcase for two memorable performances. He especially praises Dietrich’s nuanced portrayal of Lola and Jannings’s grotesque, undignified clown. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/blue-angel-review/) ## IndieWire — Beth Hanna Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2012. Hanna presents the film as a masterful, increasingly bleak work, with its final half-hour especially strong. She praises Dietrich’s energetic, subtle performance and highlights how the sound design contrasts stage fantasy with backstage reality. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/blu-ray-review-smoldering-dietrich-is-von-sternbergs-blue-angel-in-kino-restoration-200307/) ## The New Yorker — John C. Mosher Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 1930. Mosher praises the film as a first-class achievement that outshines Hollywood’s offerings. He singles out Emil Jannings’s performance for its superbly observed portrayal of an awkward figure in authority. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1930/12/20/ufas-mr-jannings-railroads-and-roughnecks-the-comics) ## Los Angeles Times — MARK CHALON SMITH Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 1991. The article presents the film as harshly mesmerizing and effective, despite moments of emotional overstatement. It singles out Dietrich’s final image onstage as the one that lingers. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-02-14-ol-1403-story.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1929. The review calls the picture a standout, though it says the heavy story drags and runs too long. It singles out Dietrich’s singing and final song performance, along with Jannings’s characterization. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1929/film/reviews/the-blue-angel-1200410277/) ## Time Out — TR Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The available page identifies this as a film review but provides no critical verdict. Its standfirst describes Lola’s seduction and destruction of Professor Rath, without naming a specific praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-blue-angel) ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Rating 2.5/5. 16 December 2013. Bowen regards the film as a fascinating, strange early sound-film achievement, while finding its gender and ideology conflicts somewhat rigged. He singles out Emil Jannings’s haunting, pathos-filled performance as the film’s most compelling element. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-blue-angel-2013/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 October 2001. The critic calls the film a classic moral tragedy, with the professor’s infatuation leading to his downfall. He praises Jannings’s performance and singles out Dietrich’s playful, seemingly innocent portrayal of Lola. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-blue-angel-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-blue-angel.md