Overview
A journey through war-torn China where love and survival intertwine amidst chaos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- glamorous
- tense
- romantic
- classic movie night
- romantic drama evening
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrate the film as a visually sumptuous, star-centered pre-Code melodrama elevated by Marlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Shanghai Lily and Hui Fei exercise decisive agency while respectable passengers judge them through gendered and racialized assumptions.
The Shanghai Express concentrates former lovers, colonial travelers, rebels, and hostages inside a train halted by civil war.
The film is distinguished by sumptuous black-and-white cinematography, ornate costumes, fabric-filled sets, and dramatic light and shadow.
The narrative contrasts racist white respectability with the moral agency of Lily, Hui Fei, and other marginalized figures.
Films like Shanghai Express, and why
Morocco
shared pre-code romantic melodrama, star-driven glamour, and morally ambiguous passengers trapped in transit
The Blue Angel
shared Josef von Sternberg visual extravagance, Marlene Dietrich charisma, and charged romantic fatalism
The Lady Vanishes
shared train-bound suspense, wartime upheaval, and romance under social pressure
Movie Details
- Director
- Josef von Sternberg
- Release Date
- 1932-02-12
- Runtime
- 82 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (247)
Cast
- Marlene Dietrich
- Clive Brook
- Anna May Wong
- Warner Oland
- Eugene Pallette
- Lawrence Grant
- Louise Closser Hale
- Gustav von Seyffertitz
- Émile Chautard
- George Blagoi
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Shanghai Express about?
- A dazzling pre-Code train melodrama turns an ex-lovers’ reunion into a test of trust amid civil-war danger and colonial prejudice.
- What is Shanghai Express like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Shanghai Express as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Shanghai Express violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Shanghai Express as moderate.
- What did critics think of Shanghai Express?
- Critics broadly celebrate the film as a visually sumptuous, star-centered pre-Code melodrama elevated by Marlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong.
- Which films are like Shanghai Express?
- Films with a similar feel include Morocco, The Blue Angel, and The Lady Vanishes.
- How long is Shanghai Express?
- Shanghai Express runs 82 minutes.
- Where can I watch Shanghai Express?
- In United States, Shanghai Express is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
