Dietrich back on big screen

Katja Flint, the star of Marlene, at Tuesday's Berlin premiere

Screen legend Marlene Dietrich has been brought back to life in a lavish big screen version of her controversial life.

Marlene stars actress Katja Flint as the German movie star who was famed for her stormy love affairs with both men and women.

Stormy life: Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich

Director Joseph Vilsmaier said: "I was interested in her home life, how she treated her husband, what was there in addition to her life as a star."

But Vilsmaier said he could not feature all of her lovers in the German language film because it would take too much time.

"There was a plethora of material about Marlene Dietrich, so it was hard to give a fair share to all involved in her life," he added.

The film attempts to capture a period feel by using Hollywood sets of the past, but some German critics have said the overall effort falls flat.

"Marlene does not give the viewer the feeling of seeing Marlene Dietrich's life, but only seeing a bad remake of a Marlene Dietrich film," said Der Spiegel.

Controversial life

Dietrich first came to prominence with a starring role in the first German talking film The Blue Angel in 1929.

She then travelled to Hollywood with the film's director Josef von Sternberg, where she became known for her roles in films such as Morocco, The Lady is Willing and Destry Rides Again.

Dietrich became an American citizen in 1937 and her strong support for the US in World War Two caused outrage in her homeland.

The actress never returned to live in Germany and died in 1992 at the age of 90. She is now buried in Berlin.