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6.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Beggars in Ermine remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for old pre-Code dramas where the stakes are weirdly high and the morality is all over the place, sure. If you need tight pacing or a movie that makes total sense, skip it. It’s for the folks who like digging through the bargain bin of 1930s cinema and finding something that feels just a little bit wrong.
Lionel Atwill plays John Dawson, a guy who goes from a titan of steel to a guy sleeping under a bridge in about five minutes flat. The transition is brutal. One minute he’s wearing a fancy suit, the next he’s a beggar. It’s almost too fast, like the movie couldn't wait to get to the part where everyone is covered in soot.
There’s something bizarrely ambitious about seeing a guy organize a massive group of homeless people into a functioning machine. It’s not exactly realistic—nobody really acts like a human being in these scenes—but it’s captivating. Watching them march around trying to take back a steel mill feels like a fever dream from a different era.
The whole thing reminded me of the grit you find in Big Town, though this one has way more focus on the "fallen man" trope. The movie doesn't really care about the economics of steel mills, and honestly, neither did I. It’s all about the spite.
There's a scene near the middle where Dawson is just staring at a billboard. It lingers for a solid ten seconds longer than it should. It’s just him, the camera, and a very dirty face. I found myself checking my watch, but then I couldn't stop looking. Why is he staring so long? Is he planning the takeover or just hungry? The movie never tells you.
It’s not as polished as something like Love, but it has this raw, weird energy that keeps you watching. It’s imperfect, sure. The plot holes are large enough to drive a truck through, but it’s got a weird heart beating underneath all the dust and melodrama.
