Handsomely photographed in Berlin and directed with finesse by David Hemmings, David Bowie is a Prussian war vet back from the dead who drifts from one demeaning job to another and finally into employment as a gigolo.
The fascinating casting includes Marlene Dietrich and the return of Kim Novak. Sydne Rome is an appealing revelation.
Dietrich, so long away from the screen, is perforce hypnotic in what amounts to a cameo (she also touchingly croons the evergreen title song), in which she adds Bowie to her gigolo stable. Novak also makes a strong impression.
The film delivers a lot of bittersweet entertainment and is never less than engrossing. Period mood is a great strength, with an effective visual mixture of sepia and soft color tints, and a music track of period ballads and jolly ragtime tunes.
