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7.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Der verjüngte Adolar remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you have a massive soft spot for German cinema from the thirties. If you prefer modern pacing or even just a coherent sense of stakes, you will probably find yourself checking your phone every ten minutes. It’s a specific flavor.
It’s not exactly a thrill ride. You’ve got Adolar, who decides to shake off his age, and the rest of the movie is basically a long, polite scramble to keep the charade going. People enter rooms, look startled, and leave in a hurry.
The whole thing feels like a stage play that someone forgot to take off the stage. There’s this one scene where Hans Moser just… stares at a door for way too long. I’m not sure if he was waiting for a cue or if he just forgot his lines, but the silence felt heavy enough to build a house with. 🏠
The cast is doing their best, bless them. They are all very loud and very expressive, as if they are worried the people in the back row of the theater won’t understand the plot. It’s exhausting to watch, but you have to admire the sheer commitment to the bit.
It’s a bit like watching Once Over in that it’s deeply concerned with social standing. But here, the stakes feel even lower, like the most important thing in the world is who gets to sit next to whom at the table.
I found myself zoning out during the middle act. The dialogue turns into a sort of background hum, like a refrigerator running in the next room. You don't really need to follow it to know exactly what’s happening next.
It’s not a bad film, just a very, very old one. It doesn't try to be anything other than a light distraction. Sometimes that’s enough. Other times, you just want the credits to roll so you can go get a snack. 🥨
