Editing Shanghai Express (film) (section)

==Reception==
[[File:Shanghai Express (film) 1932 Josef von Sternberg, director L to R Anna May Wong, Marlene Dietrich.jpg|thumb|left|L to R: Anna May Wong, Marlene Dietrich, Warner Oland]]
The film was praised by Mordaunt Hall of ''[[The New York Times]]'' as a star vehicle for [[Marlene Dietrich]]: "Miss Dietrich gives an impressive performance. She is languorous but fearless as Lily." He also singled out other characters: "Clive Brooks's performance is also noteworthy...Warner Oland is excellent as Mr. Chang and [[Anna May Wong]] makes the most of the role of the brave Chinese girl. Eugene Pallette serves splendidly as Sam Salt."<ref>Hall, Mordaunt. [https://www.nytimes.com/1932/02/18/archives/marlene-dietrich-in-a-brilliantly-directed-melodrama-set-aboard-a.html "'Shanghai Express' (1932): Marlene Dietrich in a brilliantly directed melodrama set aboard a train running from Peiping to Shanghai."] ''The New York Times'', February 18, 1932.</ref>

[[Jonathan Spence]], writing about the film's usefulness as a piece of history, feels that the real 1923 Lincheng Incident was far more dramatic, but says that ''Shanghai Express'' is nonetheless "a wonderful film, with great performances by Dietrich ... and Anna May Wong."{{sfnb|Spence|1996| p =210}}

The critic for ''[[Senses of Cinema]]'' called ''Shanghai Express'' a "riotous exercise in excess in every area; the visuals are overpowering and sumptuous; the costumes ornate and extravagant; the sets a riot of fabrics, light and space; and all of it captured in the most delectable black-and-white cinematography that one can find anywhere." He discusses the film's interest in the questions of race and colonialism and notes the "peculiar bifurcation" of the film's view of race, as most of the respectable "white" characters in the film are seen as both flawed and racist. He says only the characters played Dietrich, Wong, and Brook have "real moral agency." He calls the film "surprisingly feminist," with Dietrich being a "strong, dominating presence" and Wong's character her equal.{{sfnb|Dixon|2012}}

''Shanghai Express'' is memorable for its stylistic black-and-white [[chiaroscuro]] cinematography. Even though [[Lee Garmes]] was awarded the [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography]], according to Dietrich, it was von Sternberg who was responsible for most of it.<ref name="Landazuri">Landazuri, Margarita. [https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/18558 "Shanghai Express."] ''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: July 2, 2015.</ref>

The film was a box office success grossing $827,000 in rentals the US and Canada and $1.5 million altogether in worldwide rentals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pre-code.com/shanghai-express-1932-review-with-marlene-dietrich-anna-may-wong-and-colin-clive/|title=Shanghai Express (1932) Review, with Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong and Colin Brook|date=April 7, 2016|website=Pre-Code.Com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pre-code.com/the-movies/the-highest-grossing-films-of-the-pre-code-era/|title=The Highest Grossing Films of Pre-Code Hollywood|date=May 12, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Lucas/> [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a rating of 96% from 67 reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1043598-shanghai_express|title=Shanghai Express - Rotten Tomatoes|date=February 2, 1932|website=www.rottentomatoes.com}}</ref>

The February 2020 issue of ''[[New York Magazine]]'' lists ''Shanghai Express'' as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."<ref>{{cite news|title=The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-oscar-best-picture-losers.html|magazine=[[New York Magazine]]|access-date=March 17, 2025}}</ref>