Aux urnes, citoyens! Is a messy, charming time capsule

Is it worth the time?

If you’re the type of person who digs through dusty archives looking for oddball comedies, Aux urnes, citoyens! is a total trip. It’s got that specific, frantic energy of 1930s French farce where everyone is shouting, but nobody is actually listening.

Honestly? It’s probably only for people who are already into pre-war European films. If you want a polished, modern story, this will feel like a headache. It feels like a stage play that someone decided to film on a dare. 🎭

The vibe

The whole thing is basically a giant headache about an election in a tiny French village. It’s loud. There’s a lot of running in and out of doors, which is the gold standard for this kind of stuff, I guess.

Léon Belières is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. He’s got this face that just screams, "I am very tired of all of you." I felt that in my soul.

There’s a moment about thirty minutes in where a hat gets lost during an argument. They spend way too long looking for this hat. It’s not funny, but it’s weirdly compelling because you realize the entire plot is just people being petty about nonsense.

• The sound quality is rough, like someone recorded it inside a tin can.
• The background extras in the town square scenes look like they’re having a better time than the actual actors.
• The pacing is all over the place. Sometimes it’s a sprint, sometimes it’s a nap.

Compared to others

Watching this made me think of Mind Your Business. Both films have that weird, manic need to keep the audience laughing even when the script is clearly running on fumes. Neither one is a masterpiece, but they’ve got more life in them than a dozen slick, modern blockbusters.

It’s not trying to change the world. It’s just trying to fill an hour with noise and silly faces. Sometimes that’s enough. 🗳️

I caught myself checking my watch, sure, but I didn’t turn it off. There’s a weird charm to the way Henri Poupon delivers his lines like he’s trying to wake up the neighbors. It’s not "good" in the way critics talk about, but it’s real.

Don’t go in expecting The Sea Wolf. It’s lighter. Much, much lighter. Almost too light, like it might float away if the camera stopped rolling.