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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Be Mine Tonight remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school musicals where people just burst into song in the middle of a train station, you’ll probably have a decent time. If you need your movies to have a shred of realism or logical pacing, you’ll be pulling your hair out within twenty minutes. It’s definitely for the crowd that enjoys light, fluffy 1930s European vibes. If you’re looking for something gritty like The Hell Ship, look elsewhere.
Jan Kiepura plays the tenor with a lot of teeth. He’s loud, he’s everywhere, and he really, really likes to sing. His manager is the one holding the leash, and frankly, she’s the only one who seems to know what’s going on. The power dynamic is a bit lopsided, to put it lightly.
The middle of the film feels like it’s wandering around the Swiss Alps without a map. There are these long sequences where everyone is just kind of… hanging out. It’s not quite as jarring as the weirdness in Borderline, but it definitely tests your patience if you’re waiting for a plot point.
The dialogue is snappy in a way that feels like it was written on a napkin five minutes before shooting. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It keeps the energy moving even when the story stalls out. It’s way more fun than the slow-burn melodrama you see in Trilby.
Ultimately, it’s a bit of a relic. You watch it for the spectacle of a man singing at the top of his lungs in a room full of people who are pretending it’s totally normal behavior. It’s silly. It’s loud. And sometimes, that’s all you need on a Tuesday night. 🎶