David Golder is a total bummer and Harry Baur is a god

If you are feeling too happy today, you should probably watch David Golder. It will fix that pretty quick.

This is a movie for people who like watching a giant of a man get pecked to death by vultures in fancy dresses. If you want a fun night or something to put on while you fold laundry, stay away. 🛑

It is worth it just for Harry Baur. He is the whole movie, honestly.

He has this way of breathing that sounds like a dying engine. You can practically feel the heat coming off his skin when he gets angry.

The story is simple but it hurts. David is this guy who started with nothing, made a mountain of money, and then realizes his family is basically a pack of wolves.

His wife, Gloria, is genuinely terrifying. Not like a movie villain, but like someone you might actually know who just wants a bigger house.

There is a scene where she is asking him for money while he looks like he is about to drop dead. She does not even care.

She just keeps talking about her bills and her jewelry. It made me want to reach through the screen and shake her. 😤

The daughter, Joyce, is almost worse because she acts like she loves him. But you can see her eyes tracking his wallet every time he moves.

I noticed the sound in this movie is really weird. It is an early talkie, so everything is loud and then suddenly very quiet.

Sometimes the actors shout their lines like they are trying to reach the back of a theater. It makes the house feel even more claustrophobic.

The rooms are stuffed with too much furniture. It feels like David is drowning in all the expensive junk he bought for people who hate him.

Duvivier, the director, does some cool stuff with shadows. There is one shot where David is sitting in the dark and he just looks like a lump of coal.

It reminded me a little bit of the atmosphere in The Smiling Madame Beudet, but way more aggressive.

There is this one moment at a casino that goes on for a while. The music is just a bit too high-pitched.

It makes your teeth ache. I think that was on purpose, to show how much David hates being there.

He is a man who belongs in a dusty office, not around people in tuxedos. He looks so uncomfortable in his own clothes.

I kept thinking about how different this is from something light like Oh What a Knight. There is zero joy here.

Even the scenes that are supposed to be fancy feel dirty. Like the champagne probably tastes like vinegar. 🍾

The middle of the movie drags a little bit. There is a lot of arguing about contracts and oil fields that I didn't totally follow.

But then Baur does something with his face—just a twitch of his lip—and you are locked back in.

His eyes always look wet. Like he is constantly about to cry but he forgot how to do it.

The ending on the boat is what really got me. It is so cold and lonely.

The wind sounds fake, but the sadness feels very real. He is going back to where he started, and he has absolutely nothing left.

It’s funny how movies back then weren't afraid to be this mean. Modern movies usually try to give you a hug at the end.

David Golder just leaves you sitting in the dark feeling kind of tired.

I found myself looking at my own bank app after it finished. It makes you think about what you are actually working for.

If you can handle a movie that is basically a 90-minute panic attack about money, watch it.

Just don't expect to feel good when the credits roll. It is a masterpiece, but it is a miserable one. ⛈️

One more thing—the way they filmed the phone ringing. It sounds like a drill.

Every time it rings, David flinches. By the end, I was flinching too.

It is not a perfect film, some of the side characters are a bit flat. But Baur? Man, he is incredible.

He makes the whole thing feel like a punch to the stomach.