Anna and Elizabeth: A quiet, weird drama about hope

Is this thing worth your time?

Honestly, it depends on how much patience you have. If you need explosions or a fast pace, stay far away. You will probably find it boring. But if you like old-school, slow-burn dramas where people just stare at each other and talk about their misery, you might find it oddly hypnotic. 🕰️

The whole thing hinges on this weird power dynamic between Anna and Elisabeth. One is a child with this weight of expectation on her shoulders, and the other is a woman whose entire world has shrunk down to her own physical pain. There's this one scene where Elisabeth is just watching Anna move around the room, and the look in her eyes is… uncomfortable. It’s not just hope. It’s hunger.

The cinematography is kind of dusty and cramped. It makes the house feel like a cage. You can almost feel the velvet drapes suffocating the characters, which I guess is the point. Still, it made me want to crack a window open.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Anna and Elizabeth (1933) through its definitive frames.

Wait, what was that?

• The lighting in the hallway scenes is super dramatic, maybe a bit too much for a normal living room.
• I swear the background music keeps trying to tell us how to feel, but it’s distracting.
• Anna’s expression barely changes for the first thirty minutes. It’s eerie.
• There’s a moment with a glass of water that felt like it lasted five minutes.

I couldn't stop thinking about how different this is compared to something like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. That one is all about the spectacle and the gear. This is just… people. Maybe a bit too much focus on the 'people' part sometimes.

The ending didn't give me what I wanted, but maybe that's why I'm still thinking about it. It just sort of stops, like the film ran out of room. It’s not a satisfying wrap-up, but life isn’t satisfying either, right? 🤷‍♂️

It’s definitely a film for a rainy Tuesday when you’re already feeling a bit moody. Don’t expect a pick-me-up. Just expect to be weirded out by how much people will believe in anything when they’re desperate enough.