Blinde Passagiere Review: Creaky but Charming 1930s Shipboard Slapstick

If you have eighty minutes to spare and a soft spot for dusty, black-and-white maritime chaos, Blinde Passagiere is a weirdly charming watch.

It is definitely not for anyone who expects tight plotting or, well, jokes that don't rely on people falling over. But if you like the tall-and-short comedy duo aesthetic, this one has its moments.

The plot is basically a thin clothesline to hang gag after gag on.

We got two circus performers—played by Carl Schenstrøm and Harald Madsen—who end up stowing away on a boat headed to South America.

They are basically the Danish version of Laurel and Hardy, known as Pat and Patachon, though here they are speaking German. Or, well, dubbed? My German isn't perfect, but their physical comedy speaks for itself.

Anyway, there is a lottery ticket. And a jewel thief on board.

If you've watched other early comedies like The Black Hand Gang, you know how these plots just sort of amble along without much rush.

The whole ship setting feels very tiny, like they built three rooms on a studio lot in Berlin and just kept rotating the camera.

There is this one bit where a character gets his coat stuck in a door, and it goes on for like three whole minutes.

It’s the kind of scene that makes you realize how much comedy has changed. It is not necessarily hilarious, but you can't help but admire the sheer commitment to the bit.

"A lottery ticket on a boat is always trouble. Always."

I kept thinking about how much this reminded me of The Lady and the Beard in how it handles these bizarre, innocent misunderstandings.

The jewel thief plotline is so obvious it hurts.

The guy literally wears a dark suit and sneers at the camera. He might as well have a sign saying "I STOLE IT" taped to his back.

But the movie doesn't care, and honestly, neither do I.

The chemistry between the two leads is what keeps the ship afloat. Literally.

Madsen has this round, worried face that is just naturally funny. He looks like a disappointed balloon.

Schenstrøm is the tall, spindly one who looks like he might snap in half if the wind blows too hard.

Their physical contrast is the best joke in the movie.

Some of the support cast are just sort of there, milling around the deck.

There is a romantic subplot too, but I completely zoned out during those scenes.

It is just people looking wistfully at the ocean while the music swells.

The Stuff I Noticed

• The dog in the cargo hold looks extremely confused to be in a movie.
• There is a lot of soup eating. Like, an unusual amount of scenes involving bowls of soup.
• The sound design is incredibly loud. Every footstep sounds like a horse galloping on hardwood.

If you want a masterpiece, look elsewhere.

But if you want to see two old pros do some classic deck chair acrobatics, give it a go.

It is cozy. Silly. A bit creaky.