DbcultAccessing Vault...
8.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 8.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Der keusche Josef remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
This one, "Der keusche Josef," is definitely for folks who dig into the archives, maybe film students or just anyone really curious about what German comedy looked like way back when. If you're looking for slick modern laughs or a deep character study, you'll probably find yourself a bit lost. It's a niche watch, for sure.
Honestly, watching Georg Berg as Josef is kind of a trip. He's got this wide-eyed innocence, almost a perpetual state of mild panic. Every time a woman even looks in his direction, he practically tries to blend into the wallpaper. It’s less about being chaste and more about being profoundly awkward. You can almost feel the movie trying to convince you this guy is a moral pillar, but he just comes off as a bit of a scaredy-cat. 😅
There’s this one scene, oh man. Josef is at a garden party, all formal and stiff. Ida Wüst, who plays some society lady, keeps trying to get his attention. He spills a drink, trips over a small dog, and then somehow ends up hiding behind a potted palm. The physical comedy here is pretty basic, but there’s a charm to its earnestness. Like, really committed to the bit.
Felix Bressart, even in what feels like a smaller role, just has this way of stealing scenes with a glance. He plays Josef’s slightly bewildered friend, always there to raise an eyebrow or deliver a perfectly timed, exasperated sigh. His reactions are often funnier than the main action. It's subtle, but you notice it.
The pacing feels a bit… uneven. Some moments drag, like a long shot of Josef just pacing nervously in his room. You're waiting for something to happen, and then it does, but it's often something very small. A misunderstanding about a letter, or a hat getting swapped. The stakes are delightfully low.
And the costumes! Very much of its time, obviously. But there’s a certain hat that Josef wears through half the film. It's a little too big for his head, always tilting slightly. It just adds to his whole flustered vibe. A small detail, but it really nails his character, I think.
There's a sequence where Josef is mistaken for someone else — a common enough trope. But the way they execute it here, with people literally running in circles around him, feels almost like a silent film gag even though I believe this is a talkie. The confusion just escalates, but never quite to chaos. More like a polite, slightly frantic flurry.
Elga Brink is quite good, bringing a spark to her character. She plays someone who genuinely seems to like Josef, or at least is intrigued by his shyness. Her smile feels very genuine, which helps ground some of the sillier moments. You actually root for her a little bit, even if Josef is too busy tripping over his own feet to notice.
The humor is very much of its era. A lot of "mistaken identity" and "oh no, a woman!" situations. It’s innocent, but sometimes the jokes just don’t land with a modern audience. You can almost feel the movie trying to make you laugh, and sometimes it just gets a polite nod. 🤷♀️
One reaction shot lingers so long, after Josef almost bumps into a woman carrying a stack of plates, it becomes funny for how much it stretches out. His face just freezes in this wide-eyed horror. The scene goes on about 10 seconds too long, and the silence starts to feel awkward rather than emotional. But then, it's endearing.
This isn’t a movie that tries to say anything profound. It’s a simple story about a man trying to be good, or at least perceived as good, in a world that keeps challenging his resolve in the most mundane ways. It’s light. It’s fluff. But it’s charming fluff, if you're in the right mood.
It’s pretty clear they weren't aiming for anything epic here. Just a nice, clean comedy. And in that sense, it mostly delivers. If you’re into the old stuff, give it a whirl. Otherwise, maybe just read about it.
IMDb —
1917
Community
Log in to comment.
