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7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Autumn Crocus remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, it depends on how much patience you have for polite, old-fashioned yearning. If you want a modern, snappy rom-com, look elsewhere. If you’re into the kind of movie where people stare at mountains and talk about their feelings in hushed, respectable tones, you might dig it. It’s definitely not for the impatient crowd who need a plot twist every ten minutes.
There is a specific kind of *polite longing* in Autumn Crocus that feels like it belongs to another planet. It’s all very British, very proper, and—at times—borderline agonizing to watch.
The Austrian Tyrol settings are the real star here. They have this crisp, clean look that makes you want to pack a bag, even if the characters themselves are too busy agonizing over social etiquette to actually enjoy the scenery. The contrast between the stuffy schoolteacher and the big, open sky is actually quite sharp, even if the director doesn’t always know what to do with it.
I found myself zoning out during some of the dialogue-heavy scenes, only to be pulled back in by the way the light hits the peaks. It’s those small, quiet details that keep you anchored when the script starts to feel a little bit like a stage play that forgot to leave the theater.
Ivor Novello has that classic, slightly distant screen presence. He’s charming, sure, but in that way that feels like he’s performing for the rafters rather than the person sitting right across from him. It’s not necessarily bad, but it makes the chemistry feel a bit lopsided. 🏔️
There’s a weird moment in the second act involving a local festival that just drags on forever. It’s like the movie forgot it was supposed to be about a specific relationship and decided to become a travelogue for a few minutes. I suspect someone in the editing room just loved the footage too much to cut it.
If you liked the vibe of Evenings for Sale, this sits in a similar pocket of period romance. It’s not quite as punchy, but it has that same feeling of people trying to find themselves while everything around them is changing.
It’s a bit of a relic. But hey, sometimes a relic is exactly what you need on a rainy Tuesday. Just don’t expect it to change your life.
IMDb 6
1931
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