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7.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Azaïs remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, do not watch Azaïs unless you are a total nerd for early talkies. It is loud, the sound is scratchy, and everyone talks like they have a train to catch. 🚂
But if you love old theatrical farces where people open and close doors constantly, you might actually find it charming. Anyone expecting modern pacing or clear audio will definately hate it.
The whole plot is about this goofy "system" for happiness invented by a clerk. It is based on an old play, and boy, you can tell it was written for the stage.
The camera basically sits in the middle of the room and just watches people walk in and out. It is very stiff, almost like watching a filmed play from the front row of a high school gym.
Gaston Dupray plays the lead with this intense, wide-eyed energy. He looks like he drank about ten cups of espresso before the director yelled action. ☕
There is this one scene where he explains his "Azaïs formula" to a group of confused rich people. He draws on a blackboard and his chalk breaks like three times, which feels like a real accident they just kept in.
It has that same awkward transition period energy you see in Broadway Rose, where the filmmakers are still figuring out what to do with actors who can finally talk.
Sometimes the audio gets so muddy you just have to guess what they are arguing about. But honestly, the shouting is so expressive you do not really need to know the words.
Suzy Pierson is also here, looking very glamorous but mostly just reacting to the men screaming at each other. Her outfits are incredible though, very 1930s chic.
It is definately not some lost masterpiece like Mod lyset, but it has its own weird, dusty charm.
If you can find a copy with working subtitles, it is a fun little time machine. Just don't expect it to change your life.