A Severa (1931) review: Creaky, dusty, but secretly beautiful

If you have any interest in the history of sad music or early European talkies, A Severa is absolutely worth a watch today. But if you can't stand crackly, hiss-heavy audio and actors who gesture like they are trying to flag down a taxi, you will probably hate it. 🍷

This is basically the origin story of Fado music, wrapped inside a tragic romance about a gypsy singer named Maria. She sings in dirty taverns, falls for a rich noble guy who rides horses, and things go downhill pretty fast.

The movie is famous for being Portugal's very first sound film. You can really tell because the camera barely moves, probably because the crew was terrified of making any noise near the microphones.

There is a scene in a tavern where everyone is listening to Maria sing, and the camera just slowly pans across the faces of these old, wrinkled men. It is easily the best part of the whole movie. You can almost smell the cheap wine and tobacco smoke coming off the screen.

But then we get to the aristocratic stuff. The Count she falls for is so stiff he looks like a wooden board wearing a fancy vest. Their romantic chemistry is... well, it is not really there. It feels more like they are politely waiting for the director to yell cut.

It has that same heavy, slightly dusty theatrical vibe you get in other early transition-era dramas like The Grim Comedian, where everyone stands around waiting for their turn to speak. The silence between lines is so long you could probably boil an egg in between sentences.

I noticed one extra in the background of a bullfight scene who is wearing his hat so low he literally bumps into a wall. It is a tiny mistake they clearly did not have the budget to reshoot, and it made me laugh out loud.

Also, the music itself is incredibly haunting. Even through the terrible static of a 1931 recording, Dina Teresa's voice has this raw, aching quality that stays with you. 🎸

By the time the tragic ending rolls around, the movie has sort of run out of steam. But those tavern scenes still linger in your mind. It is a messy, historic piece of art that is well worth the struggle of finding a decent copy.