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5.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Command Performance remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you're into those early 1930s movies where everyone talks like they are trying to win a spelling bee, then yes. It is a quick, light watch for fans of vintage drama, but if you need fast editing or big action, you are going to be bored to tears by the ten-minute mark.
People who love the 'Prince and the Pauper' trope will find this comfy. Modern audiences who can't stand static cameras will probably want to skip it.
I sat down with this one because I've been on a bit of a Neil Hamilton kick lately. Most people only know him as Commissioner Gordon from the 60s Batman show, but man, he was a handsome lead back in the day.
In this one, he plays Peter Fedoroff, an actor who looks exactly like Prince Alexis. The country is basically broke, and they need a strategic marriage to stay afloat, so they hire the actor to do the heavy lifting in the romance department.
It’s very much in the vein of something like The Prisoner of Zenda, but with fewer swords and a lot more pouting in fancy rooms. The sets are weirdly empty, which was common for 1931, but it makes the whole kingdom feel like it has a population of about twelve people.
There is a specific moment where Neil Hamilton is looking in a mirror and practicing his 'royal' face. It goes on a bit too long, but you can see him really trying to find the character within the character.
I noticed that the sound quality is pretty rough in the beginning. You can almost hear the actors moving toward the hidden microphones hidden in the flower vases or whatever furniture was nearby.
Una Merkel shows up as the princess, and honestly, she is the best part of the whole thing. She has this spark in her eyes that makes the wooden dialogue actually feel like it might mean something.
The chemistry between her and Hamilton is... okay. It feels like two people who are very aware they are being filmed by a giant, loud camera box.
One thing that bothered me was the mustache. I swear, in one scene it looks perfectly straight, and in the next, it’s tilting slightly to the left like it's trying to escape his face.
The whole plot about the 'strategic alliance' is never really explained in a way that makes sense. We just have to accept that if these two people get married, the economy will suddenly be fine, which is a very 'movie' way of solving a national crisis.
It reminds me a bit of the heavy-handed drama in The Forbidden Path, though this is much lighter in tone. It doesn't have the visual punch of something like The Golem, but it’s not trying to be art.
There is a scene near the end where a secret is revealed, and the reaction shot on one of the guards is so blank it made me laugh. He just stands there like he's thinking about what he wants for lunch while the monarchy is literally falling apart in front of him.
I also liked seeing Mischa Auer in a smaller role. He always has that vaguely intense look that makes you think he’s about to start a cult or something.
The film is definitely a product of that transition period where movies were trying to figure out how to be 'talkies' without losing the romance of silent films. It doesn't always work, and some of the pauses between lines are long enough to go make a sandwich.
I kept thinking about Blindfold while watching this, mostly because of how much more fluid movies became just a few years later. This feels like a fossil, but a shiny one that you’re glad you found in the dirt.
The lighting in the ballroom scene is actually pretty decent for the time. They managed to make the fake jewelry look like it was worth a kingdom, even if the floor sounds like hollow plywood when people walk on it.
Is the ending predictable? Absolutely. You can see where this is going from the first five minutes, but there’s a certain comfort in that.
I wish there was more of a struggle for the actor character. He seems to slip into the role of a prince a little too easily, which makes you wonder if he was just a natural snob to begin with.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a solid 70 minutes of people in nice clothes being dramatic. Sometimes that is all you really need on a Tuesday night.
I’ll probably forget half the plot by next week, but I’ll remember the way Neil Hamilton adjusted his cape. He really knew how to wear a cape. 🏛️
If you enjoy seeing how the movie industry was stumbling through its toddler years, give it a look. Just don't expect it to change your life.
IMDb 4.2
1917
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